DEMOCRACY IN INDIA

ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

Textbook in Political Science

for Class XII

Author
A.S. Narang

Editor
Nalini Pant
 CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION : DEMOCRACY IN INDIA 1-5

Unit I : Elections in India 7-47

1. Adult Franchise and Electoral Participation 9

2. Election Commission and Election Procedure 21
3. Election Reforms 33

Unit II : Party System, Public Opinion and Interest Groups 49-95

4. Political Parties and Party System 51

5. National and State Parties 64
6. Formation of Public Opinion 79
7. Interest Groups and Pressure Groups 86

Unit III : Development and Democracy 97-138

8. Socio-Economic Development and Planning in India 99

9. Multi Level Planning and Role of District Development 112
Agencies
10. Development of Weaker Sections : Scheduled Castes, 120
Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes
11. Development of Weaker Sections : Women 131

Unit IV : Challenges and Responses 139-185

to Indian Democracy
12. Inequality : Social and Economic 141
13. Education and Illiteracy 152
 (viii)

14. Regional Imbalances : Regionalism, Linguism and Separatism 161

15. Communalism, Casteism and Political Violence 173

Unit V : India and the World 187-283

16. Foreign Policy of India : Determinants and Basic Principles 189

17. India and Her Neighbours : Nepal, Sri Lanka, China, 203
Bangladesh and Pakistan
18. Indias Relations with USA and Russia 226
19. India and the United Nations 238
20. India and South Asian Association of 248
Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
21. Indias Role in Non-Aligned Movement 258
22. Indias Approach to Major World Issues: Disarmament, 269
Human Rights and Globalisation

GLOSSARY 284-287

Introduction : Democracy in India
T HE beginning of Indias
independence on 15th of August
1947 was a great day in the long and
eventful history of this ancient country.
The attainment of independence,
however, was not an end in itself. It
was not only political freedom that
the leaders of the freedom struggle
were fighting for, but also for
the establishment of a new order of
society. The leaders had a vision for
minimisation of economic and social
inequalities, removal of mass poverty,
unemployment and underemployment,
restoration of human dignity,
guarantee of civil rights, restoration of
communal harmony and justice for all.
These hopes and expressions were
embodied in the Constitution of India
which was adopted on 26th January,
1950. The visions were largely
reflected through the Preamble to the
Constitution and the parts dealing
with Fundamental Rights and
Directive Principles of State Policy. To
achieve the prescribed goals, the
framers of the Indian Consti-
tution relied completely on the norms
of democracy.
You might have already studied that
framers of the Indian Constitution
1
provided for a representative democracy
in a liberal framework. The main
characteristics of liberal democracy are:
The government is formed by
elected representatives of citizens
and is accountable and responsi-
ble to them.
More than one political parties com-
pete for political power.
The competition for power is open
and not secretive. It is through open
elections.
There are periodic elections based
on universal adult franchise.
Pressure and other organised and
unorganised groups are also
allowed to operate in the system.
They are also able to influence
government decisions.
Civil liberties, such as freedom of
speech, religion and association,
etc. are guaranteed.
There is separation of powers and
check by one over the other, e.g. control
over the executive by legislature.
The above characteristics primarily
refer to the aspects of a democratic form
of government. Most political thinkers
of the present age, however, agree that
2 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
democracy does not mean merely a
form of government. In a broader and
moral sense, it means a way of life, an
order of society, a way of social and
economic relations, and above all a belief
system. Such a political and socio-
economic system is based on the ideals
of dignity and equality of citizens,
principles of equality, liberty, fraternity,
and justice and norms of government
responsible and accountable to people.
These ideals, principles and norms to
be implemented require certain
conditions, which we may call as
prerequisites of democracy. These
prerequisites are required in every
sphere social, economic and political.
The social conditions require: social
equality of status, equality before
law and equality of opportunity;
educationally and culturally developed
citizenry; absence of all kinds of
discrimination; and equal opportunities
to participate in social, cultural, and
educational processes. Economic
conditions mean: absence of
widespread inequalities; fulfilment
of minimum material needs for a
dignified human existence; justifiable
distribution of resources; equal
opportunities for gainful employment,
equal pay for equal work and
protection against exploitation: Political
conditions include: rule of law; equality
of citizens and equal opportunities for
participation in political affairs;
guaranteed and protected rights
particularly freedom of thought, belief
and expression. It also include freedom
of participation in civil and political
processes; government by the people or
their representatives free and fair
elections and respect for dissent
and opposition.
Many political thinkers and
observers believe that without social
and economic prerequisites, political
conditions of democracy cannot be
achieved. They, therefore, suggest that
before a society or state decides to
be governed democratically, it is
essential for it to have a minimum level
of social and economic development.
Many others, however, believe that
democracy itself provides a better and
successful means for attainment of
social and economic development. The
framers of Indian Constitution were
fully committed to this view. In fact,
their faith in democracy was so deep
that soon after independence they made
provisions for the universal adult
suffrage, i.e. right to vote to every adult
citizen without any discrimination.
Even in developed countries like
the UK and USA, this right was granted
to all citizens gradually by stages.
Therefore, it can be said that
introduction of democracy in India, in
the then prevailing conditions, was
a revolutionary act. Establishment
of parliamentary democracy and
universal adult franchise, gave the
Indian masses a sense of identity and
also raised at new hopes.
The very first General Election of
1952 under the new Constitution was
hailed an epic achievement of a country
of millions of illiterates. Thereafter,
scholars and observers from all
INTRODUCTION : DEMOCRACY IN INDIA
over the world have been attracted
by the successful working of a
system of popular democratic
government based on adult franchise,
guaranteed fundamental rights and
an independent judicial system.
Successive general elections at
scheduled intervals and the peaceful
and relatively efficient manner in which
they have been conducted, have
demonstrated that in spite of their
poverty and widespread illiteracy, the
people in general have proved the
framers of the Constitution right. With
every election, the base of democracy
in India has got widened. This is
particularly important in view of the
fact that in most of the countries which
attained independence after the Second
World War, democracy has been
replaced by military dictatorship or
one party system. In India, it has
not only worked but has also
provided a considerable amount of
political stability.
In social and economic fields also, the
country has made great strides. Fifty
years ago, the life expectancy for the
average Indian was 27 years. It is now
63 years. The literacy level at the dawn
of independence was much less than
what it is today. Agricultural
breakthrough of the early seventies has
not only made India self-sufficient in food
but we now produce surplus. Milk
production has gone up significantly. At
the time of independence, country
produced just 1362 MW of electricity;
which is now over 10,000 MW. Industrial
production also has greatly diversified.
3
There is also a considerable futuristic
euphoria about the prospects of
industrial, economic and technological
progress. It is expected that by 2020,
India would be amongst the first 10
countries in terms of per capita income.
It is also predicted that India would be
the largest software developer in the
world and its advances in space
technology would greatly enhance its
potential for education, meteorology
and disaster management, etc. India is
also playing an important role in
world affairs.
However, Indian democracy is
flawed in many respects. India has not
been able to acquire a stable national
unity and the political system has not
been able to fulfil the aspirations of all
groups, sections, and classes. A vast
majority of the Indian people are caught
in the situation of abject poverty,
illiteracy, and unemployment. More
than 60 per cent of the Indian
population does not have access to
basic sanitation. There is almost a
collapse of public health. The
population has increased more than
three times since independence. Of
course, the Gross National Product
(GDP) has increased four fold and in the
last decade alone per capita GDP has
doubled. But in view of increase in
population and concentration of benefits
in few hands this increase remains
insufficient. Result is about 50 per cent
of all children below 5 years of age are
under weight and malnourished.
The reality of Indian society is the
fact that economic development has not
4 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
been accompanied by institutional
changes that could have moved it in an
egalitarian direction. It could not
abolish mass poverty and was not able
to secure a minimum level of living and
opportunities for all its citizens. The
richest 20 per cent have taken away
about 50 per cent of the gains and the
poorest 20 per cent are left with only
about 8 per cent. Almost 35 per cent
of the population is below the
official poverty line. In human develop-
ment, India ranks 128th amongst
173 countries as per the UN
Human Development Report 2002.
Representation of women at all the levels
of government is not even 6 per cent.
Relentless pursuit of power and wealth
has been the dominant preoccupation
of many in public life. Consequently,
the ideals and aspirations which had
inspired the millions to participate in the
struggle, still have remained to a large
extent unrealised.
There is thus a peculiar situation.
The very fact of political independence,
establishment of Parliamentary
government and grant of universal adult
franchise, has given the common people
of India a sense of identity as well as a
conscious recognition of their position
of exploitation and discrimination.
Politicians wanting their votes have
played up this feeling but have taken
no concrete action to see that the
weaker sections were given a
participatory and effective role in the
socio-economic development of the
country. Consequently, people are
getting alienated from the system and
losing faith in the electoral system. To
keep them in the game of elections,
ambitious individuals have started
counting on caste base, communal,
linguistic and regional loyalties.
Elections, as such, have become ends
in themselves, instruments of the status
quo and of self promotion rather than
of change. With this another serious
factor has emerged; it is politicisation
of crime, and criminalisation of politics.
Altogether, Indian society today
presents a picture which is far from
being in line with the lofty doctrines of
liberty, equality, fraternity, social
justice, secularism, fair play and
above all rule of law enshrined in
our Constitution. Instead of national
integration, we now have growth
of divisive forces and separatist
elements and groups. Communalism,
regionalism and casteism are becoming
conspicuously visible forces that are
weakening, if not actually negating the
attempts to build solidarity into
Indian society.
During the last 55 years of Indias
independence, India has witnessed both
successes and failures in running the
democratic processes. Our country has
achieved success in many fields. It has
evolved a lasting Constitution, a viable
political system, a functional federal
polity and strong democratic traditions.
It has achieved a relatively self-reliant
economy. Quality of life has improved.
India has achieved breakthrough in
science and technological research.
Diverse races and ethno-lingual
groups have been unified without
INTRODUCTION : DEMOCRACY IN INDIA
destroying their identities. Above all,
a vast multi religious, multi ethnic
and multi cultural country has been
kept united.
These achievements, however, are
facing serious challenges from the
negative trends that have crept in over
the years. There has been of late
stagnancy and decay in the political
field. Economic development remains
dissatisfactory. India is still far behind
the developed countries. Caste,
communal and linguistic tensions are
growing in such proportion that the
unity of the country appears to be
threatened. Society is looking towards
younger generation with hope. They
have to understand that democracy
cannot be frozen into a static mould
adopted at one time. It has to adapt,
5
adjust and evolve itself to conti-
nuously changing situations and
circumstances. For that, it is
important to understand the existing
nature of system how it has been
working, why and what aberrations
and problems have crept in, what
lessons can be learnt from the past
experiences and what needs to be
done? The purpose of this book on
Indian democracy is to make you
aware of all these and to prepare you
participate in the system as a proud
citizen of a great ancient country and
contribute effectively in the task of
making corrections, and improvement.
There is no doubt that with the efforts
of younger generation India
can look forward to emerging as a
great nation.
 UNIT I
ELECTIONS IN INDIA
8 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

CHAPTER 1
L IKE other democracies of the
present day world India, also is a
representative democracy. It means it
is a system of government in which
political decision making is done by the
elected representatives of the people.
For choosing representatives the most
common method is elections and voting.
Elections may not in themselves be a
sufficient condition for political
representation, but there is little doubt
that they are a necessary condition.
In fact elections are the very heart of
democracy. It is through free and fair
elections, the rulers are called to
account and if necessary replaced.
Apart from giving an opportunity to
citizens to participate in choosing their
representatives, elections are also
important instruments for political
education, informing the people about
national problems and placing before
citizens various alternatives of policies.
Thus, there can be little doubt that
elections are a vital part of any
democratic process by which people
exercise their political choice and their
right as citizens. Therefore, right to vote
is provided to make elections
meaningful and representative.
9
Adult Franchise and
Electoral Participation
UNIVERSAL ADULT FRANCHISE
While importance and significance of
elections in a democracy has been
universally accepted, there has been a
debate about who can vote. Conditions
attached to such right to vote have
varied both over time and within
countries. For example, in United
Kingdom, to begin with, right to vote
was given only to men with property.
It was gradually extended during the
nineteenth century. Until 1918 all men
could vote but only some women
obtained this right. Women were
granted right to vote only in 1928. Now
in almost all democratic countries adult
citizens irrespective of property,
education, race, religion, gender or
other differences have been given right
to vote which is popularly known as
Universal Adult Franchise/Suffrage.
Which offices or posts are subject to
elective principle depend on
constitutional and governmental
systems of each country. In some
countries, large number of offices
including those of Judiciary are elected
ones whereas in some these are
primarily for legislative bodies. But in
10 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
general democratic principle accepts
that at least those responsible for
making laws and imposing taxes must
be elected. Another important aspect
of elections in democracies is that
these are held periodically. That is
representatives are elected for a fixed
tenure and they have to seek fresh
mandate at the end of tenure. For
conducting elections there are various
methods as also rules and regulations
framed by each country. These set of
methods and rules is called electoral
system. We will discuss later some type
of prevailing electoral system. But you
can keep in mind that an electoral
system is essentially a method of
converting votes cast by electors to seats
in the elected bodies. The central factor,
which distinguishes one electoral
system from another, is the method by
which it allocates seats. There are
broadly three ways in which this can
be done: seats can be allocated to
candidate obtaining plurality of votes
(that is maximum among the
contesting candidates), or candidates
obtaining a majority of the votes (more
than 50 per cent), or to political parties
in proportion to percentage of votes
polled by each of them. Accordingly,
there are three systems: plurality
system, majority system; and
proportional system. In India we have
all these three systems for elections to
various bodies and offices.
The plurality system which is also
known as the first past the post system
has been adopted for elections to the
House of People (Lok Sabha) and State
Legislative Assemblies (Vidhan
Sabhas); the majority system for
elections to the offices of President and
Vice - President; and proportional
representation for Council of States
(Rajya Sabha) and Legislative Councils
(Vidhan Parishads). Details of these
and procedures associated with them
will be discussed in the next chapter.
In this chapter let us first look at the
electoral politics in India in general in
the context of working of democracy.
ADULT FRANCHISE IN INDIA
India is a Parliamentary democracy.
Therefore, its governance draws its
ultimate legitimacy from the will of the
people which they exercise by
participating in elections at regular
intervals. Citizens right to vote,
therefore is crucial in sustaining Indias
democracy. This right has been given
to the citizens by the Constitution of
India. Article 326 of the Constitution
provides that the Election to the House
of People and to the Legislative
Assembly of every State shall be on the
basis of adult suffrage; that is to say,
every person who is a citizen of India
and who is not less than 18 years of
age (earlier up to 1989 it was 21 years)
on such date as may be fixed in that
behalf by or under law made by the
appropriate legislature and is not
otherwise disqualified under this
Constitution, has right to vote.
It is thus clear that every citizen of
India irrespective of caste, creed,
religion, sex, place of birth, social or
economic status etc. has an equal right
to vote. In other words, irrespective of
ADULT FRANCHISE AND ELECTORAL PARTICIPATION
educational or economic status each
citizens value of vote is equal.
Constitution, however, prescribes
certain conditions under which a citizen
becomes disqualified to be a voter. A
citizen having an unsound mind or
having been punished for election
related offences comes under
this category.
The extension of political power
(right to vote) to the common man of
India, is no doubt an important
instrument of social justice. It may be
mentioned here that while even in many
developed (Western) countries universal
adult franchise developed in steps; in
India, it was introduced right in the
beginning. Right to vote in India
was considered not only as an
essential mechanism for working of
Parliamentary democracy but also
as an instrument for achieving
socio-economic justice through
peoples participation, accountable
and responsible government and
mobilisation of citizens participation
in political process. It should also be
kept in mind that apart from Lok Sabha
and State Legislative Assemblies
elections are also held for local self
governance bodies like Municipal
Committees and Corporations and
Panchayati Raj Institutions, thus giving
opportunity to voters to exercise their
control and choice at different levels.
Elections are also held for the offices of
President and Vice-President of India;
but in these citizens do not participate
directly, it is their representatives in
Parliament and Legislative Assemblies
who vote in these elections. As a whole,
11
elections have become one of the most
central political processes in India.
They are keenly contested and
participated. During last 52 years of
the adoption of the Constitution, India
has had thirteen general elections to the
Lok Sabha and various to the State
Legislative Assemblies. There had been
democratic changes of governments,
both at the Centre and in States, several
times through the electoral process.
Though, during elections a number of
aberrations and malpractices have crept
in, elections more or less have been
instrumental for peaceful change of
governments and expression of peoples
aspirations and protests.
POLITICAL PARTICIPATION
First general election was held in India in
1951-52 on the basis of adult suffrage.
This was a simultaneous election both for
the Lok Sabha and all State Legislative
Assemblies. Second general election held
in 1957 was also a simultaneous election.
In third general election in 1962, elections
for two State Assemblies i.e Kerala
and Orissa could not be held
simultaneously with general election.
Similarly, in 1967, simultaneous elections
could not be held in Nagaland and
Pondichery along with fourth general
election to the Lok Sabha. After 1967,
election to most of the assemblies had to
be held separately from that of Lok
Sabha. Fifth general election for Lok
Sabha was held in 1971 and thereafter
general elections were held in 1977,
1980, 1985, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1998
and 1999.
12 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

In terms of participation in election, although the level of turn out

elections, there has been a steady for women is lower in some rural
increase in percentage of voting turn constituencies.
out (although, there have been some It clearly shows that the right to
fluctuations here and there) (see Table vote and system of free elections has
1.1). Further, studies show that the drawn millions of very differently
increase has been both in urban and situated people into the political
rural areas. Similarly participation by process, opening up opportunities for
women has also increased with each them in sharing and controlling power
Table 1.1: General Elections at a Glance

Year Elective Candidate Electorate Voter Turnout Polling

Seats (in per cent) Stations

1952 489 1,864 173,213,635 61.2 196,084

1957 494 1,591 193,652,069 62.2 220,478

1962 494 1,985 216,372,215 55.0 238,244

1967 520 2,369 249,003,334 61.3 267,555

1971 518 2,784 274,094,493 55.3 342,944

1977 542 2,439 321,174,327 60.5 358,208

1980 542 4,620 355,590,700 56.9 358,208

1984 542 5,481 399,816,294 64.0 434,442

1989 543 6,160 498,906,429 62.0 505,751

1991 543 8,699 514,126,390* 61.0 594,797*

1996 543 13,952 592,572,288 57.9 767,462

1998 543 4,750 605,884,103 62.0 773,494

1999 543 4648 619,559,944 59.9 774,607

* Excluding Jammu and Kashmir

Sources : PIB, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Election Commission of India.
ADULT FRANCHISE AND ELECTORAL PARTICIPATION
and in claiming a share in the benefits.
At the same time, it is also true that
the act of voting itself is not evidence
of political awareness or involvement.
Many a times voters are just pushed
into and coerced to vote in favour of
candidates either under emotional
pressures of caste, religion or
community or under threat from
economically and socially powerful.
Voting by such uninfor med and
disinterested voters obviously is
qualitatively different from voting by
one who is politically conscious.
Results of various elections and trends
of voting also suggest that voting
behaviour of Indian voter is not
determined by any single factor. These
include social, political and economic
factors. Let us look at how various
factors determine voters participation
and behaviour.
DETERMINANTS OF ELECTORAL
PARTICIPATION AND BEHAVIOUR
As has already been mentioned,
elections provide the people with
opportunity to influence the political
process, and also help directly or
indirectly, to determine who will hold
government power. Elections are also
a visible manifestation of public interest.
The reason to vote and vote in favour of
a candidate, therefore, is determined by
both individuals own reasons and
perceptions as also by her/his being a
part of a collectivity or group. At the
same time the voting behavior is shaped
both by short term and long term
influences.
13
SHORT TERM INFLUENCES
Short term influences are specific to a
particular election and therefore do not
determine the voting patterns in
general. An important short term factor
is the state of economy at the time of
election. This includes situation of
unemployment, inflation, availability
or non-availability of essential
commodities, etc. We have cases in
India when main issue of election
campaign had been the price of
commodities like onion or governments
inability to control inflation. Local
conditions of life, like water and power
supply, road conditions, law and order
situation have also determined voting
behavior either in general or in
particular constituencies. Another
short term influence on voting is the
personality and public standing of
party leaders. In 1971, charismatic
leadership of Indira Gandhi and her
popularity won a number of votes for
her party. In 1985, Rajiv Gandhis
youthful and honest image influenced
various sections of voters. Again in
1989 V.P. Singhs growing popularly
made many people to vote for him and
his allies. Similarly in 1999 elections,
Atal Bihari Vajpayees charismatic
personality brought quite a few votes
for his alliance. Let it be clear that image
and popularity of leaders by itself is only
one of the factors to influence voting
behavior and it may not remain for long.
Specific and significant events
preceding an election also influence the
outcome of elections. Indias victory in
Indo-Pak war over Bangladesh in
14 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
1971 brought large number of votes for
Congress (I) in State Assembly elections
in 1972; but in 1977 in the wake of
Proclamation of Emergency Congress
lost votes both in Lok Sabha and State
Assembly elections. In 1985, militancy
in Punjab and some other parts of India
followed by the assassination of Prime
Minister Indira Gandhi brought
sympathy votes to Congress (I) but
again exposure of corruption took
people away from Congress (I) in the
next election in 1989. In 1996 election,
events related to Ram Janma Bhumi
brought gains for BJP and it emerged
as the largest single party in Lok Sabha
for the first time. Again in 1999
elections for thirteenth Lok Sabha,
events like testing of nuclear bomb and
Kargil war did influence voting behavior
of certain sections in favour of BJP and
its allies.
Another short term influence that
has become particularly important in
recent years is that of media. Patterns
of media coverage of issues, projection
of leaders in good or bad light, conduct
of opinion polls, etc. do influence voting
behavior of a number of voters. But as
has already been mentioned, all these
factors have short term influences on
voters. These may make some voters
vote in a particular way in a particular
election. Of course a little shift in voting
behavior even of a section of voters can
some time significantly change the final
results. Nevertheless major influences
on voters come from social, economic
and ideological factors and these are
long term influences.
LONG TERM INFLUENCES
Social
Among the social factors influencing
electoral behavior can be age, sex,
education, inhabitation (rural or
urban), caste, community, religion, etc.
Various election studies have shown
differences in voting turn out and voting
behaviour of voters on these grounds.
For instance, it has been found that
younger people participate less. Voting
percentage is the highest between the
age-group of 30 to 50 years and
intermediate in the persons crossing 50
years. Similarly, it has been found that
in Indian situation women, as
compared to men, tend to be less
politically efficacious, less politically
interested and less informed.
Particularly, in rural areas they either
dont vote or vote according to the
desires of men folk in the family. Higher
level of education in general is
considered a critical norm for rational
decision making. Many studies,
however, show that in ter ms of
participation percentage illiterates or
persons with low education outnumber
the higher educated persons. Of course
in choosing the candidate the two may
be acting differently.
In terms of inhabitation, earlier
Indias urban constituencies were
electorally more politicised but lately
rural voters have started participating
in elections in a significant way and
determining the election outcomes.
There are, however, substantial
variations from one election to another
ADULT FRANCHISE AND ELECTORAL PARTICIPATION
and among the different States. The
voting pattern of the two differs on
issues as well as on caste loyalties.
Rural voters are influenced more by
caste considerations, while in urban
areas issues are considered important.
Caste
In India, it has become a very important
factor to influence electoral behaviour.
People, particularly in rural areas are
motivated to vote because of caste
loyalties. There are direct and indirect
appeals by contestants on caste and
sub-caste lines. Earlier it was higher
castes that used to mobilise their
support base. During last two decades
Scheduled Castes and Other Backward
Castes have been significantly
mobilised on caste basis. There had
also been reports of higher castes
intimidating or coercing lower castes to
vote according to their directions. In
recent years, lower castes have become
particularly active to react against such
intimidation and consolidate and
mobilise themselves to vote in
accordance with their own choices. In
this context an important development
is that leaders of all major parties and
formations agree that the crucial dalit
vote can make or break their fortunes.
Some observers find a very positive
aspect of introduction of use of caste in
elections in India. This, they find is
the transfer of authority from the higher
to the middle castes and also a move
towards empowerment of lower castes.
The other view is that the Adult
Franchise and elected Panchayati Raj
15
Institutions have in fact helped existing
ruling classes in consolidating and
legitimising their power by using caste
in electoral politics. We will study in a
subsequent chapter various aspects of
casteism in politics . Here, it is important
to note that in Indian electoral
behaviour, particularly in rural areas,
caste has become an important
instrument of mobilisation, a channel
of communication, representation
and leadership.
Religion
Like caste another factor that has been
used to mobilise voters has been
religion. In a country like India where
people are deeply religious minded,
leaders find it quite useful to identify
themselves with the people on the basis
of their religious sentiments both in
negative and positive terms and ask
votes for them. In early years of
independence, some parties exploited
the apprehensions of minorities about
their safety and place in India in post
partition conditions. Minorities,
therefore, chose parties keeping in view
security of their religious identity and
safety. These came to be known as
communal vote banks.
Economic Factors
In terms of economic factors, it is
expected that people with higher, middle
and lower income groups vote
differently. Higher and middle income
groups are more concerned with the
problems of the society, are more
politically aware and conscious of the
16 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
effects of governmental policies on their
long term interests. The poorer sections
of the society, on the other hand, are
concerned with their personal economic
problems. Their main worry is making
both ends meet, holding on to their jobs
or finding one. They therefore, vote to
deal with the most immediate and
pressing livelihood problems. They may
also be coerced to vote according to the
directions of their employers or maliks
or to sell their votes.
Fact of the situation is that it is the
majority of population living below and
just above the poverty line which has
the major share of votes. Poor, illiterate,
superstitious with a sense of belonging
only to the caste or religion and with
no access to proper communication this
enormous wave is driven to the polling
stations. Many studies have pointed
out that voting by poor in the villages
often follows the lines of what the malik
says: whether they are labourers or
share croppers, dalits or next higher
caste, the land owner dictates to them
the party/candidate they have to vote
for. Of course, lot of awareness is coming
in these sections, but as yet their voting
behavior is not determined according
to their interests and choices.
There is also difference in voting
behaviour on class and professional/
vocational basis. Choice of parties
by propertied and labour classes,
industrialists and farmers, business
men and professionals mostly depends
on class lines, though other factors of
caste, religion, etc. also play their role
in that.
While socio-economic factors are
very important in influencing
individuals and groups voting
behaviour, some political factors also
play a significant role in its long term
determination. Important factors are
ideology, family and party association.
In every society quite a number of
people are committed to certain
ideologies and values like capitalist,
socialist, conservative, liberal, secular,
fundamentalist, etc. Their voting
behavior obviously is determined
primarily by these commitments rather
than short term influences or their
social status. In most cases ideological
commitment itself is determined by
ones social status; for instance,
working class people tend to be tilted
towards socialist and communist
ideologies. Similarly, industrialists and
business people have a natural
tendency to favour capitalist values.
Political family background is also
an important determinant. Early
political socialisation in politically active
families has direct and indirect
influence on children. In fact, parents
who are active or interested in politics
encourage their young children to
participate in elections according to
family traditions and associations. It
is not necessary that children always
follow their parental loyalties, but early
socialisation remains an important
determinant.
An important determinant in voting
behavior has been party identification
in the sense of psychological
attachment to parties. There are people
who are either formal members of
ADULT FRANCHISE AND ELECTORAL PARTICIPATION
political parties or identify themselves
with a party. They are thus long term
supporters of parties and vote for them.
In such cases voting is a manifestation
of partnership, not a result of
calculation influenced by factors such
as policies, personalities, campaigning
and media coverage. Party identification
in voting behavior was very strong in
the initial years of independence
because of peoples involvement in
freedom struggle and visions for a new
India. Now it is not that strong. Voters,
by and large prefer to vote on the basis
of their evaluation of parties from
election to election as also on the basis
of other influences. Some long term
associations are still visible on
ideological, traditional and caste or
communal basis. Political parties,
however, are unable to depend on
these firm commitments. Most of
them, therefore, try to attract general
voters using various techniques
mentioned above.
ELECTORAL BEHAVIOUR
PATTERNS AND TRENDS
From the above discussion of the
determinants of voting behaviour, it
becomes clear that voters decision does
not depend on any one factor. It is
influenced by the social group she/he
belongs to, her/his long term
association with political parties,
understanding of issues involved in an
election, state of economy, prevailing
social conditions, types of leaders
leading the party, the party image,
election campaign, etc. In addition,
17
media has also started playing a very
effective role in influencing voters
choice. It is, therefore, very difficult to
describe the voting behaviour of a
society in general. However, there are
some visible trends which point
towards the voting behaviour, of the
society in general and that of certain
groups and individual voters in
particular. Some of the important
patterns and trends in voting behaviour
are as given below:
Voting for Parties
During the last thirteen General
Elections it has emerged quite clearly
that in general, Indian voters vote for
the party rather than the individual
candidates. One result of this is that in
spite of close social relations and
influences, independent candidates are
generally not able to perform. With the
time, fortune of independent candidates
have been fading significantly.
It is observed that though the voters
vote for the party and not the
candidates, yet they are influenced by
the personality and popularity of the
leader of the party. In this respect
individual remains important. This, of
course, is true in several cases and it is
because of this that most parties do
project the heroic images of their
supreme leaders. A consequence of this
is that parties become dependent on
the image of leaders rather than their
programmes and ideologies.
Social Loyalties
While people in general vote for parties
rather than individuals, it is found that
it is not only due to psychological or
18 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
ideological attachment to a party. In
fact they vote more as an expression of
loyalty to a social group, like caste,
religion, region, ethnicity, and class. An
important outcome of this is growth and
success of caste and religion
based parties. This is contrary to the
belief that with modernisation and
development, traditional ties of caste
and religion will get weakened. This of
course does not mean that individuals
do not focus on their personal self-
interest. In fact, as a result of various
developments, particularly due to the
failure of economic development
process, individuals self-interest in
many cases has converged with social
group interest. Popularity of Bahujan
Samaj Party among Scheduled Castes,
consolidation of Other Backward Castes
in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, mushroom
growth of caste associations every
where, growth and success of regional
parties, and use of religious events and
issues in elections are manifestations
of these.
NATIONAL AND LOCAL ISSUES
It is true that masses in hundreds and
thousands of Indian villages and in
urban slums are unable to make a
distinction between myth and reality
and are prone to emotional
mobilisation. Still their voting act is not
isolated from their evaluation of the
performance of governments or issues
at stake. In fact, various election
results prove that people have not only
understood the importance of elections
but have also developed a spirit of
rebellion to be expressed in a
democratic manner. By rejecting
parties in power, in spite of alleged
misuse of official machinery and
rigging, both at the Centre and in
all the States, more than once people
have shown that they are capable
of using election as a very
effective instrument to throw out non-
performing governments. Clear
example of this was rejection of
Proclamation of Emergency in 1977
elections.
MALE DOMINATION
Another trend in Indian elections
continuing from the very beginning
is that of neglect of womens
representation. It is interesting to note
that during last two decades almost all
political parties have been talking at
great length about empowerment of
women and have even promised
33 per cent reservation for them in
legislatures, but when question of
fielding candidates come most of them
neglect women candidates.
MONEY, MEDIA AND MUSCLE
POWER
Another disturbing trend that has
emerged in Indian elections is the use
of powers of money, media and muscle.
Unfortunately, during last three
decades or so political power in India
has become important in itself. It is
being used as an instrument for
ADULT FRANCHISE AND ELECTORAL PARTICIPATION
privileges, status quo and self-interest
rather than for change. Elections have
become ends in themselves. These
must be won at all costs. As a result,
our electoral processes have been
considerably polluted. To win elections
both candidates and parties apart from
appealing to caste and religious
sentiments are using money power to
purchase votes and finance high pitched
campaigns. They are relying on
criminals and mafias (muscle power) to
coerce voters, capture booths and
threaten opposition campaign. Services
of media to build a leaders image,
project partys popularity through
manipulated reports or opinion polls,
report events in distorted ways that may
influence voters mind in favour of or
against a party, etc. are being used.
All parties are compelled to put up
candidates who can muster these
resources in abundance, in order
to have a realistic chance of success.
There is no doubt, that willingly
or unwillingly, consciously or
unconsciously voting behavior of
people is getting influenced by
these powers.
We have discussed above that
elections lie at the heart of a democratic
process. It is through the instrument
of elections that notions of consent
and representation are translated into
reality by conversions of votes into
seats in legislatures. Elections secure
peoples participation in public affairs,
ensure orderly transfer of power and
provide the authority of government
legitimacy. Elections thus, not only
19
sustain democracy but enliven it as
well. It is in this background that
framers of Indian Constitution wisely
put their trust in people and decided
to have universal suffrage on the basis
of equality of all citizens. They did it in
spite of reservations expressed by some
that in a country like India universal
suffrage would not work, because the
people were not educated, they were
backward and all that. In general,
people in India have proved framers of
Indian Constitution right. In spite of
complexities of social structure in a
developing society people in India have
not only understood the importance of
elections but have also used them for
rejecting non-performing governments
and expressing their desire for change.
Of course this does not mean that
voters behavior in India had been
always rational and informed. In fact,
electoral behavior in India is very
complex. On the one hand, it shows
that people have the capacity to reject
the party in power and express
resentment on the exercise of power.
On the other hand, they prefer caste,
sub-caste, community and region
rather than national groupings. In
other words, when we examine a whole
State or Country, the electoral verdict
does broadly reflect public opinion of
anger and frustration. But when we go
to the constituency level, we find that
caste or sub-caste, religion, money and
muscle power have mainly become the
determinants of political power. Local
issues, caste, dissatisfaction with the
general performance of the party in
20 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

power, role of charismatic leaders and While such decline in values is a

local equations, all combined in many
ways determine the voting behavior. At
the same time most people have showed
their ability to shift their attention and
passions from one loyalty to another.
So, they may vote in one election on
caste basis but very soon in another
election at another level on class or issue
basis. One thing, thus, is clear that
people have developed a stake in the
democratic system.
However, it is a matter of concern
that value system is declining and there
is a growing apathy towards the system
among the educated. In response to
demands from hitherto deprived
groups who have become conscious of
their rights and power politically
ambitious individuals and ruling
classes have started using ethnic and
caste loyalties and money and muscle
power to remain in power.
matter of concern, it does not mean a
collapse of the system or failure of
democracy. In India democracy with
all its mechanism party system,
periodic election, institutionalised
procedure for transfer of power,
system of rights, etc. is operating well.
No doubt, certain aberrations have
emerged in the system that need to be
corrected.Since,politics is concerned
with the promotion of happiness and
public good, it is required that more
andmore democratic minded people
intervene in politics. We, therefore,
have to make collective efforts for
restoration of the health and vitality
of various institutions of democratic
polity, including that of elections. At
the same time, we have to keep in mind
thatdemocracy is not just the election;
it is much more than that:
rule of law and good governance.

EXERCISES

1. What do you understand by Universal Adult Franchise? Explain its importance

in a democracy.
2. Explain the short term and long term factors which influence electoral
participation and behaviour.
3. What patterns and trends have emerged in voters behaviour in India over the
last thirteen General Elections?
4. Write short notes on :
(i) Adult Franchise in India;
(ii) Party identification;
(iii) Use of Money and Muscle Power;
(iv) Male Domination.

CHAPTER 2
Y OU have already read that one of
the basic concepts of democracy is
free and fair elections conducted at
periodic intervals. It means that
elections are held in an atmosphere and
in a way in which citizens are enabled
to make a rational choice. An essential
component of this is that elections are
conducted efficiently and objectively by
competent and honest administrators
free from political bias. Lack of
confidence in the verdict of the ballot
box not only destroys the faith of the
public in the democratic process but
also discredits the electoral
administration. The framers of the
Constitution of India were quite aware
of the necessity of an independent
election machinery. This they provided
in the form of Election Commission
which has not only been insulated from
the interference of the executive but of
legislatures also.
THE ELECTION COMMISSION
For superintendence, direction and
control of preparation of electoral rolls
and the conduct of elections to the office
21
Election Commission
and Election Procedure
of President and Vice-President of
India, the House of the People (Lok
Sabha), the Council of States (Rajya
Sabha) and Legislative Assemblies in
States and Legislative Councils in
States (where these exist), the
Constitution provides for an Election
Commission. The Constitution provides
that the Election Commission shall
consist of the Chief Election
Commissioner and such number of
other Election Commissioners, if any,
the President may from time to time fix
and the appointment of the Chief
Election Commissioner and other
Election Commissioners shall, subject
to the provisions of any law made in that
behalf by parliament, be made by
the President.
The above provision simply provides
for the appointment of the Election
Commissioners by the President,
without prescribing any qualifications
for eligibility to the post or the
procedure of its filling. Pending
enactment of law by the Parliament,
these matters have been left to be
determined by rules framed by the
President. In the Parliamentary form of
22 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
government appointment by President
amounts to entrusting the power of
appointment to the government of the
day. In the Constituent Assembly
some members expressed the opinion
that an appointment to the post of
Chief Election Commissioner made
exclusively on ministerial advice may
make room for the exercise of political
influence. The apprehensions of the
seepage of political influence in the
appointment of Chief Election
Commissioner have so far been belied
in practice. The President has, on the
advice of the Prime Minister, so far
appointed tried and trusted
administrators of unquestionable
integrity and not politicians or non-
officials to this office.
INDEPENDENCE AND FUNCTIONING
The independence of the Commission
is ensured by an express provision in
the Constitution that the Chief Election
Commissioner (CEC) shall not be
removed from his office except in like
manner, and on the like grounds, as a
Judge of the Supreme Court and the
conditions of service of the Chief Election
Commissioner shall not be varied to his
disadvantage after his appointment.
The Chief Election Commissioner and
Election Commissioners are entitled to
the same salary and other facilities, like
rent free accommodation, as are
provided to a judge of the Supreme
Court. The term of office of the Chief
Election Commissioner and other
Election Commissioners is six years
from the date she/he assumes office or
till the day one attains the age of 65
years whichever is earlier. The Election
Commission is independent of the
Executive.
There is an apprehension among
some observers with regard to the
personnel working for conduct of
elections. For conduct of its functions
the Election Commission has no
separate field staff of its own. It has to
depend upon the staff of the Central
and State Governments. By Article
324(6) of the Constitution, the
President and Governors of States have
been enjoined to make available to
Commission such staff as may be
necessary for the discharge of its
functions.
The dependence of Commission on
the Central/State administration in the
discharge of its obligations sometimes
creates problems in its quick and
efficient functioning. However, the
maintenance of a huge staff with the
Commission for the conduct of periodic
elections is likely to be too expensive.
Despite limitations, so far, the
Government officers, except with some
aberrations in some areas, have
conducted themselves with fairness
and impartiality. For making the
system further fault free, an
amendment in Representation of the
Peoples Act made in 1988, says that
the officers and staff shall be deemed
to be on deputation to the Commission
when deployed in connection with
revision of rolls and the conduct of
elections. As such they are now
ELECTION COMMISSION AND ELECTION PROCEDURE
directly answerable to the Commission
for any act of commission or omission
while deployed for election duty.
The Constitution also makes
provision for Regional Commissioners
to assist the Election Commission
in States. The President may appoint,
after consultation with the
Election Commission, such Regional
Commissioners as he may consider
necessary to assist the Election
Commission in the performance of the
functions conferred on it.
In addition, in the preparation and
revision of rolls and the conduct of
election Commission is assisted by a
Chief Electoral Officer who had
no statutory recognition till 1956. He
was given statutory recognition by an
amendment of the Representation of the
Peoples Act, 1951. The organisation and
administrative structure of the office of
Chief Electoral Officer varies from State
to State depending upon the size of the
State and the volume of the work
involved. Needless to say that keeping
in view the size and population as also
diversity of India, to conduct free and
fair election in an efficient manner is an
enormous task.
MULTI MEMBER COMMISSION
It has been mentioned above that the
Constitution provides that the Election
Commission shall consist of the
Chief Election Commissioner and
such number of other Election
Commissioners, if any. It means that
the Commission can consist either only
23
of Chief Election commissioner or have
other members too. Since its inception
in 1950 and till October 1989, the
Commission functioned as a single
member body consisting of the Chief
Election Commissioner. On 16
October, 1989 the President appointed
two more Election Commissioners on
the eve of the General Election to Lok
Sabha held in November-December
1989. However, the said two
Commissioners ceased to hold office on
1 January, 1990 when those two posts
of Election Commissioners were
abolished. Again on 1 October,
1993 the President appointed two
more Election Commissioners.
Simultaneously, law was also amended
to provide that the Chief Election
Commissioner and other Election
Commissioners will enjoy equal powers
and will receive same salary,
allowances and other perquisites. The
law further provided that in case of
difference of opinion amongst the Chief
Election Commissioner and two other
Election Commissioners, the matter
will be decided by the Commission by
majority. The validity of that law was
challenged before the Supreme Court.
The Constitution Bench of the
Supreme Court consisting of five
judges, however, dismissed the
petitions and fully upheld the
provisions of the above law by a
unanimous judgement on 14 July,
1995. At present the Election
Commission consists of Chief Election
Commissioner and two other election
Commissioners. Can you name them?
24 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE
ELECTION COMMISSION
The Election Commission of India has
been given wide powers and functions.
These include the following main
functions:
(i) to prepare, revise, update and
maintain the list of voters for
election to the Parliament, State
Legislatures, Local Bodies and to
the Office of the President and the
Vice-President of India;
(ii) to conduct and supervise elections
and bye-elections to the
Parliament, State Legislature, and
to the Office of the President and
the Vice-President of India;
(iii) to delimit constituencies for
election to the Parliament and to
the State Legislatures, and to allot
the number of seats to each of
them;
(iv) to fix the election programme,
including dates for nomination
and scrutiny of candidates,
and date of elections; make
arrangements for setting up
necessary number of polling
booths, lay down procedure
for the exercise of secret
ballot, appoint adequate number
of returning officers, and declare
results after the proper
counting and scrutiny of votes,
countermand elections in a
constituency where necessary.
(v) to advise the President or
the Governor of the concerned
State, as the case may be,
regarding all electoral matters,
including questions relating to
disqualification of members;
(vi) to prepare guidelines for a code
of conduct for political parties,
candidates and voters;
(vii) to fix the limit of election expenses
and to examine the accounts of
electoral expenditure submitted
by the candidates;
(viii) to determine criteria for
recognising political parties, and
then recognise them and decide
their election symbols and
allocate time to them for the use
of radio and television in order to
help them reach out to the people
on election issues;
(ix) to prepare a list of free symbols
for allotment to independent
candidates;
(x) to settle election disputes and
petitions, referred to it by the
President or the Governor of a State.
THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM
You have read in the last chapter that
in India the plurality system or the first
past the post system has been adopted
for elections to the Lok Sabha and State
Legislative Assemblies, and that of
proportional representation by means
of the single transferable vote for
elections to the offices of President,
Vice-President and to the Council of
States and Legislative Councils. You
will surely like to know what these
systems are. Given below is a brief
description of these.
ELECTION COMMISSION AND ELECTION PROCEDURE
Plurality System (First Past the Post)
In this system country is divided into
single member territorial consti-
tuencies, usually of equal size. Voters
select a single candidate, usually
marking against the candidates name.
A candidate who receives the highest
number of votes, may be less than even
half the votes polled, is declared the
winner. This system is easy to operate
and establishes a clear link between
representatives and constituencies. It
also allows governments to be formed
that have a clear mandate from the
electorate, of course, on the basis of
plurality of support amongst the
electorate. However, a number of
shortcomings are pointed out in this
system. The system wastes many
votes, those cast for losing candidates.
It undermines the legitimacy of
government in so far as governments
often enjoy only minority support. In
this system some social groups like
minorities may remain under -
represented. In spite of these limitations
this system is quite popular in a number
of countries including the UK and India.
The Majority System (Second
Ballot and Alternative Vote
Systems)
The majority system requires that a
person declared winner in a single
member constituency wins by a clear
majority that is getting more than 50
per cent votes. This can be obtained
by two methods:
25
(i) Second Ballot System: In this
system there are single candidate
constituencies and single choice voting,
as in the first past the post system. To
win on the first ballot, a candidate needs
an overall majority of the votes cast. If
no candidate gains a first ballot
majority, a second run off ballot is held
between the leading two candidates.
This system is popular in France
(ii) Alternative Vote System: In this
system there are single member
constituencies. There is preferential
voting. Voters rank the candidates in
order of preference i.e. 1 for their first
preference, 2 for their second
preference, and so on. Winning
candidates must gain minimum 50 per
cent of all the votes cast. Votes are
counted according to the first
preference. If no candidate secures 50
per cent in first preference, the candidate
with least number of votes is eliminated
and that candidates votes are
redistributed according to the second
(or subsequent) preferences. This
continues until one candidate has a
majority. This method is used in
Australia and some other countries
and for elections of President and
Vice-President in India.
The Proportional Representation
System
The term proportional representation is
used to designate various electoral
devices based on the principle that
parties should be represented in an
Assembly or Parliament in direct
proportion to their overall electoral
26
strength, their percentage of seats
equalling their percentage of votes. It
is claimed that under this system any
party, interest or group would secure
representation in proportion to the
support, it has among the electors. This
is achieved by two systems:
(i) Single Transferable Vote System:
In this system there are multi member
constituencies. Parties may put forward
as many candidates as there are seats
to fill in each constituency. Electors
vote preferentially, as in the alternative
vote system. Candidates are elected if
they achieve a quota. This is the
minimum number of votes needed to
elect, the stipulated number of
candidates, calculated according to the
following formula as explained below:
Total Number of Votes Polled
Quota =
Total Number of Seats to be filled up + 1
For example, if 1,00000 votes are cast in a
constituency that elects four members, the quota
is calculate like this :
1,00000
Quota = +1
4 +1
=
1,00000
+1
5 the British model, they preferred the
= 20,000+1=20,001
The votes are counted according to
first preference. If not all the seats are
filled, the candidate securing least
number of votes is eliminated
and the votes are redistributed
according to second preference, and so
on, until all the seats have been filled.
This system is used to elect members
of Rajya Sabha and Legislative Councils
in India.
DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
(ii) Party List system: In this
system either the entire country is
treated as a single constituency, or, it
is divided into a number of large
multimember constituencies. Parties
compile lists of candidates in
descending order of preference and the
list is presented to voters. Electors vote
for parties, not for candidates. Parties
are allocated seats in direct proportion
to the votes they gain in the election.
They fill these seats from the party list.
A minimum percentage (for example 5
per cent fixed in Germany) can be fixed
to exclude small parties. This is the
only potentially pure system of
proportional representation, and is
therefore, fair to all parties. However,
its operation in big countries is very
difficult.
+1 Above mentioned are some of the
prevalent systems in different
countries. Adoption of a particular
system by a country depends on
various factors including historical
evolution, size, type of voters,
considerations of stability, nature of
population, etc. In India, since framers
of the Constitution in general followed
plurality or first past the post system
for elections to both Lok Sabha and
State Legislative Assemblies. To make
the office of President a real
representative of national opinion
majority system with transferable vote
was adopted. As the Rajya Sabha was
meant to be a representative House of
States and not of people or
constituencies, system of proportional
representation was favoured.
ELECTION COMMISSION AND ELECTION PROCEDURE
While in general, these systems
have been working well, there are
views that first past the post system
has shortcomings which need to be
looked into. It is pointed out that in
India not only various parties and
groups either remain unrepresented
or under -represented in spite of
significant support among voters as
a whole but also parties getting just
30 per cent or so of the polled votes
are able to emerge as majority
parties and form government. We will
discuss this issue in next chapter on
electoral reforms.
THE ELECTION LAWS
In India elections are held for House
of People (Lok Sabha), Council of
States (Rajya Sabha), State Legislative
Assemblies (Vidhan Sabhas), State
Legislative Councils (Vidhan
Parishads) in the States, where these
exist, Local Self Government bodies
including Municipalities and
Panchayati Raj bodies and offices of
President and Vice-President.
Election Commission is responsible
for conduct of elections to Parliament,
State Legislatures and elections to the
offices of President and Vice-
President. Plenary powers of
superintendence, direction and
control, the preparation of electoral
rolls and the conduct of elections,
vested in the Election Commission are
supplemented further by Acts of
Parliament. These are Presidential and
Vice-Presidential Election Act, 1952, the
27
Representation of the Peoples Act,
1950, and Representation of the
People Act, 1951, the government
of Union Territories Act 1963,
supplemented by Registration of
Electors Rules 1960, and conduct of
Election rules 1961.
The Election Commission, also, in
exercise of its legislative powers, has
issued the Election Symbols
(Reservation and Allotment) Order,
1968, besides a large number of
instructions for the guidance of
electoral machinery and the
electorate.
Representation of the People Acts,
1950 and 1951, have made elaborate
provisions for the creations of election
machinery at the State, district and
constituency level for the preparation
and revision of rolls and conduct of
elections. The Representation of the
People Act, 1950 basically deals with
the preparation of electoral rolls
whereas, the Act of 1951, provides
legal sanction for actual conduct of
elections making specific provisions to
maintain peace and order during
election to ensure dignity or fairness
of electioneering and to enforce
neutrality of civil service. The Election
Symbols Order is concerned with the
registration, recognition of political
parties, allotment of symbols and
settlement of disputes among them.
Elections to Municipalities and
Panchayati Raj Bodies are conducted
by State Election Commissions. Laws
and rules for the same are formulated
by various states.
28 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
CONDUCT OF ELECTIONS
As already mentioned elections to the
Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies
are held on the basis of plurality or First
Past the Post System. The Constitution
of India prescribes the membership
strength of the Lok Sabha and
various State Legislative Assemblies
respectively and lay down that the
members of the Lok Sabha and those
of the various Legislative Assemblies
would be elected by direct election from
territorial constituencies. Accordingly,
number of seats and constituencies is
determined by the Constitution and
laws enacted under these provisions
provide the tasks of preparation
and revision of electoral rolls and
conduct of actual elections to be
performed by the Election Commission.
Determination and allocation of seats
and marking of territories is called
Delimitation of Constituencies.
DELIMITATION OF CONSTITUENCIES
The Constitution provides for the
number of seats for Lok Sabha, which
at present has been prescribed not
more than 500 and 30 from States and
not more than 20 members from Union
Territories. The seats are allotted to
each State in accordance with the
population. Each State or Union
Territory is divided into that number of
constituencies in such manner that the
proportion between the population of
each constituency and the number of
seats allotted to it is, so far as
practicable, the same throughout the
State. The Constitution makes the
similar provision for allocation of seats
and demarcation of constituencies with
respect to Legislative Assemblies of the
States. This process of allocation of
number of seats and their demarcation
into territories is known as process of
Delimitation of Constituencies. The
Constitution also provides that the
allocation of seats in the Lok Sabha to
the States and the division of each State
into territorial constituencies shall be
re-adjusted after the completion of each
census so that the population seat ratio
is maintained within the State and
throughout the Union.
For the first General Elections to
Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies
in 1951-52 the Election Commission
divided the entire country into viable
territorial divisions of Parliamentary
and Assembly constituencies. At that
time Constitution had fixed the
number of seats to Lok Sabha as
not more than 500. Thereafter, the
task of delimitation, was assigned
to an independent Delimitation
Commission. Accordingly, separate
Delimitation Commissions were set up
under specific statutes after the
relevant population figures of
decennial census in 1951, 1961 and
1971. The last commission was set
up in 1972, which completed its work
in 1975. The Constitution 42nd
Amendment (1976) had put a ban
on any further delimitation of
constituencies till 2000 and the total
number of seats in the Lok Sabha and
the Assemblies had remained the
ELECTION COMMISSION AND ELECTION PROCEDURE
same till then. This was done to check
the growth of population. It was feared
that some States, to get more seats
on the basis of large population might
not take the task of family planning
seriously. 91st Amendment of the
Constitution passed in 2002 has
extended this freeze of seats up to
2026. The year 2026 has been chosen,
because the population planners
have projected that by that year the
population of India would stabilise
and the country could hope to
have zero growth rate of
population thereafter. Accordingly,
next allocation of seats will be carried
out on the basis of the population of
the country after 2026. Hence, the
number of seats in the Lok Sabha
would not change till then. This
amendment, however, has made
provisions of setting up of a
Delimitation Commission to readjust
the constituencies. This is primarily
due to change in population patterns
and migrations etc., constituencies
have become quite unbalanced.
For, example, in some of the
constituencies number of voters has
reached more than 25 lac, whereas in
some others it is less than one lac.
Another proposal before the
Delimitation Commission is for
rotation of reserved seats. As you
know Constitution provides for
reservation of seats for Scheduled
Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The
constituencies reserved for Scheduled
Casts and Scheduled Tribes have
29
remained unchanged since 1971. It
is felt that reserved constituencies
should keep on rotating to give wider
option to both SCs/STs and general
category candidates. It is hoped that
before next General Elections
constituencies will be redrawn and we
will have some balance in them.
SYSTEM IN OPERATION
It has already been explained that
two major tasks in electoral process
are: (i) preparation and revision of
electoral rolls; and (ii) conduct of
elections. The work of preparation
of electoral roll is done by a
Statutory Officer designated as
Electoral Registeration Officer under
the supervision and control of
Election Commission. The Electoral
Officer for the Assembly constituency
is designated by the Commission in
consultation with the Government of
the State concerned. The Electoral
Officer is assisted by one or more
Assistant Electoral Registeration
Officers. They are assisted by some
officers at tehsil level. These officers
attend to the task of revision of the rolls
in addition to their administrative duties.
The revisions are undertaken as and
when felt necessary. Any citizen who
attains the age of 18 years, or whose
name for some reason is not there in the
electoral roll can apply for inclusion of
her/his name any time in the
prescribed form for this purpose.
The updating of the Electoral Roll
30 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
remains closed during an election
campaign after the nominations of
candidates.
CONDUCT OF ELECTIONS
As you know, elections for the Lok
Sabha and every State Legislative
Assembly have to take place every five
years, unless called earlier. The
President can dissolve Lok Sabha and
call for General Elections before five
years. So can Governors in States for
Vidhan Sabha. When the new elections
are called, the Election Commission
puts into effect the machinery for
holding an election. The Constitution
states that there cannot be more than
6 months gap between the two sessions
of Lok Sabha/State Assembly. So
elections have to be conducted keeping
this in view.
RETURNING OFFICER
Election work in every constituency is
supervised by an officer designated as
Returning Officer who is nominated by
the Commission in consultation with
the State Government concerned. An
officer can be nominated as Returning
Officer for more than one constituency.
The Returning Officer is assisted by
one or more Assistant Returning
Officers. The Assistant Returning
Officer is empowered to perform all the
functions of the Returning Officer
under the supervision of the latter
except the scrutiny of nomination
papers. Even this function of scrutiny
can be performed by the Assistant
Returning Officer, if the Returning
Officer, is unavoidably prevented from
performing her/his duty.
WHO CAN CONTEST ELECTION?
An Indian citizen who is registered as
a voter and is above 25 years of age is
allowed to contest elections to the Lok
Sabha or State Legislative Assembly.
For the Rajya Sabha the age limit is
30 years. Candidate for the Rajya
Sabha and Vidhan Sabha should be a
resident of the State from which she/
he is contesting election. A person who
has been convicted for an offence under
electoral laws or some criminal
offences cannot contest election for a
period of 6 years from the date of
conviction.
Every candidate desirous of
contesting election has to make a
deposit of Rs 10,000 for Lok Sabha
election and Rs 5,000 for Rajya Sabha
or Vidhan Sabha elections, except for
candidates from Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes who pay half of these
amount. The deposit is returned if the
candidate receives more than one-sixth
of the total number of valid votes
polled in the constituency.
Nominations must be supported at
least by one registered elector of the
constituency in the case of a candidate
sponsored by a registered party and
by ten registered electors from the
constituency in the case of other
candidates. As already mentioned in
reserved constituencies, the candidate
ELECTION COMMISSION AND ELECTION PROCEDURE
can only be from either one of the
Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes
as the case may be.
POLLING
After the process of nomination of
candidates is complete, a list of
contesting candidates is prepared by
the Returning Officer and ballot papers
containing names of candidates and
their symbols. Voting is held on the
days announced by the Election
Commission. Voting is by secret ballot.
Election Commission tries to ensure
that there is a polling station within
2 km of every voter, and no polling
station should have to deal with more
than 1,200 voters. Some electors,
including members of the armed forces
or government of India on duty can vote
by post also.
After the polling is over, the
votes are counted under the
supervision of Returning Officers and
Observers appointed by the Election
Commission. After the counting of
votes is over the Returning Officer
declares the names of the candidates
who have received the highest number
of votes as elected.
ELECTION PETITION
If any elector or candidate feels that
there has been malpractice during the
election, she/he can file an election
petition. Election petitions are tried by
the High Court of the State involved,
and if upheld, election of a candidate
can be declared void, new elections
31
might be ordered, results can be
countermanded or other appropriate
decision delivered. Appeals can be
made in the Supreme Court.
Candidates thus elected constitute
the Lok Sabha or State Legislative
Assemblies as the case may be. The
anti-defection law, passed in 1985,
prevents MPs or MLAs elected as
candidates from one party forming or
joining a new party, unless they
comprise more than one-third of the
original party in the legislature. If a
member leaves her/his party or joins
other party she/he ceases to be the
member of the legislature.
India is a parliamentary democracy.
The main process to run the democracy
is election. To be meaningful, elections
have to be regular, free and fair. The
Constitution of India on the one hand,
recognises the principle of universal
adult suffrage, i.e. any citizen of or over
the age of 18 can vote; and on the other,
makes the Election Commission,
independent of Executive and
Legislature to conduct and supervise
elections. Elections in India are events
involving political mobilisation and
organisational complexity of an
amazing scale; yet the record of
conducting free, fair and peaceful
elections has so far been remarkable.
However, in spite of reasonably high
credibility of election process, the
present system has developed some
defects which need to be corrected
through reforms. This we will discuss
in the next chapter.
32 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

EXERCISES

1. How is independence of Election Commission of India ensured?

2. Describe the composition, powers and functions of the Election Commission of
India.
3. Examine the advantages and disadvantages of the plurality and proportional
representation systems of elections.
4. Describe the procedure followed for conduct of elections in India.
5. Write short notes on the following:
(i) Multi Member Commission;
(ii) Party List System;
(iii) Delimination of Constituencies;
(iv) Returning Officer;
(v) Election Petitions.

CHAPTER 3
I N the last two chapters you have
studied that election is a corner stone
of any democratic system. It gives
people an opportunity to elect their own
government which can preserve and
protect their rights and liberty, fulfil
their aspirations and create an
environment in which they can develop
their overall personality. However, it is
essential that elections are conducted
in a free and fair manner, peacefully and
with dignity. As a representative
parliamentary democracy, India has a
well established system of elections.
The Constitution of India has vested in
the Election Commission, an
independent constitutional body, the
powers of superintendence, direction
and control of the entire process of
elections. Over the last five decades,
thirteen General Elections to the Lok
Sabha and nearly three hundred
General Elections to State Legislative
Assemblies have not only proved that
democracy has taken deep roots but
have also earned world wide
appreciation about their fairness.
While conduct and outcome of
elections in general have been hailed as
a unique democratic experience during
33
Election Reforms
all these years there also have emerged
shortcomings in the system. These
shortcomings are: difficulties in
conduct of free and fair elections,
apprehensions about their credibility in
the future and various aberrations that
have crept in the system and machinery
of election. It is, therefore, now widely
recognised that in order to preserve and
strengthen the democratic setup the
electoral system needs to be kept under
careful watch and need to be reformed.
At present, the question of reforming
our electoral system is engaging all
concerned politicians, media,
citizens, political observers, and above
all those connected with the conduct of
elections. Let us first of all look what
shortcomings, problems and aberrations
the system is facing.
SHORTCOMINGS, DEFECTS AND
ABERRATIONS IN THE SYSTEM
Non-Representative
One shortcoming that is pointed out in
the present system is that plural or first
past the post system does not provide
a correspondence between the number
of votes polled and number of seats
34
won. Election results, most of the time,
have shown that there has been an
imbalance between the percentage of
votes polled and the number of seats
won. It has been pointed out that in
almost all Lok Sabhas, the ruling party
or ruling coalition had not secured even
50 per cent of the votes polled. Any
party securing about 30-35 per cent
of votes forms the government. It
means that the government, in fact, is
formed with 18-21 per cent of voter
support. In earlier years even though
opposition parties between themselves,
represented a major section of public
opinion, the composition of legislatures
remained a single party dominated one.
Small parties in particular remain
under-represented. For the same reason
various social groups, for example
minorities, do not get representation
proportionate to their population.
Another aspect of this is that since, it is
the individual who has to win, more
stress is laid on aspects like caste, etc., in
the selection of candidates by the parties.
Merit is largely a causality in the selection
of candidates.
Multiplicity of Parties and
Candidates
There is no comprehensive law governing
political parties as such. Any party even
and with concentration in limited
geographic area in plural system can
have chance of winning some seats. As
a result one of the problem country is
facing is steady and haphazard growth
of political parties. It is estimated that
more than 700 parties are operating in
DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
the country. The multiplicity of parties
has been not only creating confusion
among the electorate, but also
administrative problems during
elections because of large number of
candidates. Added to this is, entry of
large number of independent
candidates in the fray because of limited
checks and restrictions on nominations.
Such unprincipled, personality-
oriented proliferation of parties and of
independents contribute to post-
electoral opportunistic coalitions and
unstable governments.
Escalating Costs and
Money Powers
Elections in India are a very costly affair
for both who contest and who conduct.
In view of large size of constituencies,
large number of candidates contesting
elections, behavior of political parties
and candidates, and such other factors,
the State has to spend enormous money
to conduct elections in a peaceful and
orderly manner.
In the thirteenth General Elections,
government had to spend more than
Rs 850 crore only on Parliamentary
elections. With unstable governments,
elections to Lok Sabha is no more
limited to once in five years. Similarly,
a huge expenditure is incurred on
Assembly elections in States.
More serious question is cost of
elections for the candidates. Even if we
do not take into account the misuse of
money power, a candidate or a party
to campaign in a constituency, spread
over a large geographical area and
ELECTION REFORMS
having more than 10 lac voters, has to
spend enormous money just to reach the
voters. Added to that is the phenomenon
of black money available with a large
section of population. It was openly said
during the 1999 General Election that
Rs 50 lac to one crore had to be spent by
a candidate standing for Parliamentary
election. There is a law placing a
maximum limit on expenditure. But it
has become meaningless. The huge
expenditure incurred by candidates and
political parties have no relationship to
the ceiling prescribed under the law. The
hard reality is that huge unaccounted
funds may easily be used for political
activity, party organisation and election
campaigning. Such a money is given in
the hope of high returns. No body can
pay hard earned, tax-paid money for
political purposes. The candidates and
political parties look to big money bags
for their funds to contest elections. This
in course of time triggers a chain reaction,
leading to corruption at various levels.
It, therefore, becomes difficult for men of
integrity and commitment to public
service to contest elections. A careful
analysis shows that heredity and family
connections are the commonest cause for
entry into politics. This is closely followed
by those who have large inherited or
acquired wealth and who believe that
investment in politics is a good business.
Money spent on elections is sought to be
recovered through misuse of government
machinery, bribes, scams, etc. The
vicious role played by money power in
deciding elections, thus, is one of the
most critical problems facing the
election system.
35
Violence and Muscle Power
Since winning of election has become
an end in itself, in addition to money
power, muscle power has also become
an important factor. Muscle power i.e.
engaging criminals, violence and
coercion, is used to force the voters to
vote for particular candidates, or not
allowing the voters to vote, and for
capturing the booth and casting bogus
votes. Reports of booth capturing,
rigging and gun battles between rival
gangs working on behalf of the
candidates are now common.
Criminalisation of Politics
The most significant outcome of the use
of muscle power in election has been
that many local muscle men, and
criminals, whose services were earlier
sought for extortion or vote-gathering,
are now directly entering the fray and
are elected in the process. Former
Election Commissioner G.V.G.
Krishnamurthy in 1997, released a
sample profile of criminalisation of
politics as shown by the 1996 Lok
Sabha elections. He found that nearly
1,500 of the 13,952 candidates for the
Lok Sabha had a criminal record, which
included cases of murder, dacoity, rape,
theft and extortion. He also revealed
that 40 such candidates had won the
elections. On the basis of information
received from district administrations
the country, Krishnamurthy claimed
that nearly 700 of the 4,072 members
of the legislatures of 25 States and two
Union Territories were involved in
criminal cases and their trial was
36 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
pending. Speaking on the occasion of
golden jubilee celebrations of the
Election Commission on 17 January,
2001, President K.R. Narayanan
quoting Election Commission, stated
that between 500 and 800
elected representatives had criminal
antecedents.
Here, it may be pointed out that
according to section 8A of the
Representation of the People Act 1951,
a person who has been convicted in
certain offences, she/he cannot be a
candidate. But there is no bar on those
who are not convicted at the time of
election. We thus, come across persons
against whom cases have been
registered, but at the time of contesting
elections, they had not been convicted.
Political clout for such elements
obviously jeopardises the smooth
functioning of the administration and
the safety of life and property of the
common people.
Incitement to Caste and
Communal Prejudices
Another aberration that has emerged
in our election system is increasing use
of caste, communal and other such
factors. Of course appealing to caste
and communal prejudices at the time
of elections is nothing new and not
limited to elections. However, in recent
years these have emerged as the most
viable rallying points. Almost all
parties, while selecting candidates, first
of all take into consideration caste and
community factors outweighing all
other considerations. Section 123(3) (A)
of the Representation of the People Act
debars candidates from seeking votes
on the ground of religion. But in
practice not only candidates appeal in
the name of religion openly but also
political parties have been formed on
caste and religious identities. In this
situation, the vote, instead of being an
unifying, cleansing and equalising tool,
becomes a divisive force. We will study
later more about the role of caste and
religion in politics. Here, it is sufficient
to say that exploiting caste and
communal sentiments is against
democratic norms.
NEED FOR REFORMS
In short, it can be said that the trust
reposed in the people by the framers of
the Constitution by granting them
universal adult suffrage has been
generally justified by the voters. But,
in the recent past there have emerged
some disturbing factors in the system.
Electoral processes have been
considerably polluted by the use of
money and muscle power, violence,
multiplicity of candidates in the election
arena, want of electoral ethics on
the part of the participants and
their supporters and insufficient
representation of various sections of
society like minorities and women.
Observers and all those who are
concerned with the future of democracy
are of the firm opinion that in order to
consolidate the gains of democracy,
restore the gravity of process and arrest
the growing trend of peoples
withdrawal from electoral process, we
ELECTION REFORMS
need electoral reforms urgently. In fact,
the need for electoral reforms has been
the subject of wide ranging debate right
from the First General Elections.
Practically, every report of the Election
Commission has contained reform
proposals. Some reforms have been
introduced also. These, however, have
been found quite insufficient. It is being
felt that if electoral reforms are to be
meaningful, they should be all
encompassing covering the full
spectrum. Ad hoc or piecemeal reforms
are not the right way of resolving the
problem. Before, discussing the
various proposals and suggestions for
reforms, let us have a look at the history
of electoral reforms and the changes
made so far.
HISTORY OF ELECTORAL REFORMS
Most of the earlier suggestions for
reforms, mainly related to changes
in electoral procedure, were found
necessary after the experience
of each general election. Such
recommendations were made by the
Election Commission through its
reports on general elections, brought
out after the completion of each general
election. From the time of Fourth
General Election in 1967, serious
deterioration in the standard electoral
norms became visible. Since then we
see on the one hand growing maturity
of the electorate, growth of viable
political parties, greater consciousness
among candidates and citizens about
their rights and a just change in social
and economic order; and on the other
37
hand there is deterioration in the value
system, decline of political institutions
and emergence of a new brand of
politicians resulting in disturbing
factors and aberrations as discussed
above. Against this background the
issue of electoral reforms received an
important place on national agenda.
In 1970, the Election Commission
sent comprehensive proposals to the
Ministry of Law on electoral reforms,
along with a draft bill to give effect to
those proposals. Thereafter, the Central
Government prepared a Bill to amend
the Representation of the Peoples
Acts, 1950 and 1951. It was
introduced in the Lok Sabha in
December, 1973. When the House was
dissolved in January 1977, the Bill
lapsed. It is noteworthy that this bill
did not incorporate many of the
important amendments suggested by
the Commission.
In 1974, Jayaprakash Narayan had
launched a movement which later on
came to be known as A movement for
Total Revolution. One of the main
planks of this movement was electoral
reform. On behalf of Citizens for
Democracy, Jayaprakash Narayan
set up a committee under the
Chairmanship of V.M. Tarkunde, a
former judge of Bombay High Court.
This committee after holding
discussions with representatives of a
number of organisations in February
1975 produced a comprehensive set of
recommendations. Thereafter political
parties, the media, concerned citizens,
academicians and above all the Election
Commission had taken up the issue
38 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
continuously. In November 1983, at
the meeting of representatives of political
parties with the Election Commission,
consensus was arrived at on some
matters. Important of these were the
following:
(i) Lowering of the age for candidates
contesting elections.
(ii) Restriction on contesting election
from more than one constituency.
(iii) Increase in requirement of
minimum number of votes polled
to save security deposit.
(iv) Compulsory registration of parties
and maintenance of accounts.
(v) Rotation of reserved seats.
(vi) State funding of elections.
(vii) Change of present electoral
system to majoritarian system or
list system.
(viii) Empowering Election Commission
to countermand election on report
from election observer.
(ix) Empowering Election Commission
to withhold the candidature of a
person guilty of corrupt practices.
(x) Mode of appointment of Chief
Election Commissioner and other
Election Commissioners.
(xi) Statutory code of conduct.
These proposals, however, remained
only on paper. In December 1988,
considering the recommendations of the
Election Commission, Parliament
amended the law to prescribe penalty
for persons accused of booth capturing.
Further, the Commission was
empowered to countermand the
election in the entire constituency, if it
was satisfied that in view of the large
number of polling stations involved in
booth capturing, the result of the
election was likely to be affected. In
1988 the age of voting was reduced to
18 years from 21.
1996 Reforms
In 1989 the National Front government
took initiatives to bring certain reforms.
To achieve a consensus for that, it
appointed an All Party Committee in
1990 under the Chairmanship of the
then Minister of Law and Justice
Shri Dinesh Goswami. The committee
in May 1990 presented an almost
unanimous report recommending
important reforms. But no follow-up
action could be taken up as the
National Front Government itself
collapsed. Since then, consultations
had continued among political parties
and Election Commission had been
making its own suggestions. In 1996
some important changes were made in
the Representation of the Peoples Act.
These include (i) Person convicted for
insulting the National Flag, the National
Anthem or the Constitution of India
stands debarred from contesting
elections for six years from the date of
such conviction as in the case of other
offences; (ii) To check the multiplicity
of non-serious candidates the amount
of security deposit has been increased
from Rs 500 to Rs 10,000 for general
candidates and from Rs 250 to
Rs 5,000 for Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes candidates. For
elections to State Assemblies this has
been increased to Rs 5,000 from
Rs 250 and Rs 2,500 from Rs 125 for
general and SCs/STs candidates
ELECTION REFORMS
respectively. It has also been provided
that the nomination of a candidate
in a Parliamentary or Assembly
constituency should be proposed by
10 electors of the constituency, if the
candidate has not been set by a
recognised National or State Party.
Minimum interval between the last date
for withdrawal and date of poll has been
reduced to 14 days instead of 20 days;
(iii) A candidate cannot contest election
from more than two Parliamentary
or Assembly Constituencies;
(iv) Previously, the election in the
constituency was countermanded on
the death of a candidate; now the
election will not be countermanded. If
the deceased candidate, however, was
setup by a recognised National or State
Party, the party concerned will be given
an option to nominate another
candidate; (v) Going to a polling booth
or near a polling booth with any kind
of arms is now a cognizable offence
punishable with imprisonment up to
two years or with fine or with both;
(vi) All registered electors who are
employed in any business, trade,
industrial undertaking or any other
establishment will be entitled to a paid
holiday on the day of poll; (vii) No liquor
or other intoxicants shall be sold, given
or distributed at any shop, eating
place, hotel or any other place within a
polling area during the period of 48
hours ending with the hour fixed for the
conclusion of poll ; and (viii) By-
elections to any House of Parliament or
a State Legislature will now be held
within six months of occurrence of the
vacancy except in case where the
39
remaining term of House is less than
one year.
Another change was made in 1997
in the law for Presidential and Vice-
Presidential elections. According to this,
number of proposers and seconders for
contesting election to the office of the
President has been increased to fifty
each in place of ten; number of electors
as proposers and seconders for
contesting Vice-Presidential election
has been increased to 20 each in place
of 5. The amount of security deposit has
been increased to Rs 15,000 in place of
Rs 2,500 for both these offices.
By another amendment in electoral
law, provision has been made for voting
by certain class of persons through postal
ballot. The provision has been made
primarily to facilitate exercise of right of
franchise by migrants from Kashmir.
SUGGESTIONS
From the above description of history
of electoral reforms, it comes out that
various reports of committees on
Electoral Reforms, particularly the
Goswami Committee Report of 1990
and the Tarkunde Committee Report of
1975 have so far not led to substantial
changes in electoral system and law. It
seems that political parties are
indifferent to electoral reforms. They
hold periodic meetings to discuss the
issue, come up with some suggestions
but end up with bringing in Parliament
some minor or ad hoc changes. In fact,
in some cases parties in the name of
electoral reforms have tried to
40 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
neutralise the steps taken by the
Election Commission or Judiciary to
bring in some desired changes. The
latest example in this regard is
consensus among all parties in their
July 2002 meeting to water down the
directives given by Supreme Court and
followed by the Election Commission to
debar criminals from contesting
elections and candidates to provide
information about their assets,
qualifications, etc. Nevertheless, it is
now widely recognised that in order to
preserve and strengthen the democratic
set up a comprehensive agenda of
reforms is necessary. Electoral reforms
include reforms in the system,
structure and processes. These are
required to: (i) check criminalisation of
politics; (ii) curb in the use of money
power in elections; (iii) regulate
the functioning of political parties;
(iv) provide reasonable representation
to various sections of society,
including women, in Parliament
and State Legislatures; (v) ensure voter
participation and voter awareness; and
(vi) make the election machinery
effective and credible. To achieve these
goals various suggestions have been
made by the Tarkunde Committee, the
Goswami Committee, the Election
Commission, and by various seminars,
political parties and political observers.
Some of the important suggestions are
as follows:
Restructuring of Electoral System
As has been mentioned above, there is
a view that under the existing electoral
system political parties do not get
representation, in terms of seats in
proportion to their electoral support.
Also various sections of society remain
under-represented. There is a view that
in order to enable political parties to get
representation in proportion to votes
polled by them, the existing system of
representation be substituted by a form
of proportional representation, like list
system. Several scholars have argued
in favour of it on the grounds that it
will promote fair elections and will
enable parties to nominate honest and
capable candidates. Such a list system
will certainly reduce the role of money
in elections and minimise electoral
malpractices. Most parties are in favour
of this system since, it will give party
leadership a decisive power.
The counter view to this suggestion
is that the list system has its own
disadvantages. This system, it is
argued: (i) leads to multiplicity of
political parties and fragmentation of
even the established political parties;
(ii) undue increase in the power of
party bosses; (iii) multi member
large sized constituencies; (iv) no
majority party and consequently
emergence of coalition governments;
(v) disappearance of direct relation
between individual candidate and the
voters. Another argument is that the
list system will further accentuate
divisions in society. Every caste or
group will have its own party to
represent its interests. Further it is
pointed out that this system is too
complex, and the voters in India, a large
percentage of whom is still illiterate,
might find it difficult to correctly indicate
their choice on the ballot paper. This
ELECTION REFORMS
would be more so because of proliferation
of political parties in the country.
In view of these problems a
suggestion has been made that, as in
Germany, we may have direct elections
to 50 per cent of the seats from
territorial constituencies, while the
remaining 50 per cent seats may be
filled in by list system. It has also been
suggested that the discrepancy between
the electoral support and legislative
seats can partly be corrected by
introduction of majority system, i.e. by
the stipulation that if no candidate in a
given constituency obtains 50 per cent
of the valid votes, there should be an
immediate repolling between the top
two. The final winner will represent at
least 50 per cent of the active electorate.
This has the additional advantage that
larger social coalitions shall replace the
narrow ones and contribute to the
process of social and political
integration. Repolling will also have the
added advantage of reducing the
incidence of booth capturing because
the candidates will realise their inability
to influence the final outcome which
requires a minimum of 50 per cent of
the votes polled.
There are those who still think that
the First Past the Post System is the best
as it is simple, maintains direct relation
between voter and the legislator and
helps in providing stability. The only
thing required is a movement towards
a two party system as in such system
the winner candidate will get, if not, at
least near to 50 per cent.
Needless to say, each system has
its plus and minus points. What is being
41
suggested is that some way out needs
to be found in which there is some
coloration between votes polled
and seats won as also justice ensured
to various sections of society
by securing their participation in
decision making.
Curbing the Role of Money Power
and State Funding
It has already been mentioned that the
vicious role played by money power in
deciding elections is one of the most
critical problems facing the election
system. The result is that contesting
elections has become a costly affair,
forcing common people to stay away
from the field. To improve the situation
three main proposals have been made.
First, is with regard to control over
political parties. For this, it is suggested
that the expenditure incurred by
political parties should be brought
within the ceiling of election expenses.
Only the expenditure of the parties on
political education, without reference to
any particular constituency, should be
exempted. Political parties must
function according to norms specified by
the Election Commission. They should
maintain detailed accounts in which
each item of receipt of money by way of
subscription, donations, subsidy, etc.,
and each item of expenditure should be
recorded. The accounts must be got
audited by agencies specified by the
commission and made public. The
Election Commission should be
empowered to examine the election
returns on merit to satisfy itself that they
are accurate and correct in all respects.
42 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
Second, suggestion is that the
ceiling on election expenses should be
realistic and not just a ritual. The
ceiling should be reviewed from time to
time in relation to size of constituencies,
number of voters, inflation and other
factors and be fixed accordingly. It
should not remain a mere eye wash, but
be controlled as mentioned above.
Related to this aspect is the need to
make contributions and donations to
political parties legal. Observers point
out that, it is an accepted fact that in
democratic set up political parties have
to spend considerable sums of money,
and that large sums are required for
elections. If there is a ban on companies
and business on donation to political
parties, the possibility of depending on
illegal contributions is obvious. It is
therefore, necessary that efforts should
be made to create an atmosphere where
there is more transparency in financial
dealings rather than taking extreme
measures which would only drive these
activities underground and away from
the public gaze. Legalisation of
donations and contributions, as such,
is suggested strongly.
Third, suggestion with regard to
putting curb on money power is that of
State funding. This practice of State
funding for political parties is prevalent
in some countries like Germany,
France, Israel, Canada, Japan, USA,
etc. In this system political parties
polling a minimum percentage of votes
are entitled to subsidy by the State. In
India various committees, Election
Commission as also all party meetings
have recommended that reasonable
grants in aid should be given by the
government to recognised parties and
suitable criteria should be evolved for
recognition of parties for this purpose.
In this regard some suggest that if not
monetary assistance, parties and
candidates can be given material
assistance in the form of free petrol or
diesel for vehicles, paper for printing of
election literature, supply of copies of
electoral rolls free of charge, identity
slips for distribution to voters, postal
stamps of a specific amount,
refreshment packets to polling agents
on the day of election, etc.
It is suggested that while State
funding of political parties is no
magic wand with which corruption
can be washed away, but to the extent
the State would meet the requirement
of political parties for funds, their
need to raise money by dubious
means would be reduced. Also if
scheme of election grants is
introduced, then stringent curbs can
also be imposed on parties including
compulsory auditing, publication of
accounts, putting statutory limit on
identifiable expenditure like number
of posters, advertisements in
newspapers, etc. Governmental
funding can also be so designed that
it helps serious candidates and
discourages frivolous ones. Another
benefit of State funding is creating
somewhat level playing field for
political parties where on the basis
of fixed criteria they will have equal
funds to fight elections.
ELECTION REFORMS
Regulating the Functioning
of Political Parties
Political parties are an established part
of modern mass democracy. In India
also the conduct of election is largely
dependent on the behavior of political
parties. Unfortunately, situation today
is that political parties make strong
demands for the conduct of free and fair
elections, but choose to ignore the
application of the same principle when
it comes to the functioning of their own
party organs. It has been revealed on
various occasions that the political
parties do not follow their own
constitutions. They hold no party
elections and continue to function for
years on an ad hoc basis. Sometimes
there has been tyranny of the minority
on the majority because of
undemocratic functioning. A few
persons occupying a vantage position
in the apex body, quite often
strangulate the democratic functioning
and aspirations of the members of the
party at the grass roots. It goes without
saying that undemocratic political
parties cannot nurture, sustain or
strengthen a democratic society.
Therefore, one of the most critical need
of the time is to reform political parties
and make them open, democratic and
accountable.
The necessary reforms suggested in
the functioning of political parties are:
Basic democratic principles of elected
representatives from lower tier electing
leadership at higher levels; open
membership rolls; fair and free
elections; no absolute power to central
43
party over regional and local units;
effective check on office bearers; no
recourse to expulsion or removal of
potential rivals; and, no nominated
office holders at any level.
At present, it is not expected that
party leaders themselves will initiate a
process of reforms in parties. It is
therefore, suggested that this has to be
brought in by law. The law apart from
making it obligatory for parties to have
internal democracy and work in an
accountable manner should empower
the Election Commission to make
regulations for:
(i) Compulsory registration of
political parties;
(ii) Compulsory maintenance, auditing
and publication of accounts;
(iii) Submission of reports to the
Commission; and
(iv) Mandatory publication of
membership rolls, election of office
bearers at every level by secret
ballot, and restrictions on
expulsion of members.
Curbing Criminalisation of Politics
It has been mentioned above that one
issue that has engaged a large section
of the country today is the criminal
elements entering the electoral field and
succeeding in winning elections.
At present Section 8 of the
Representation of Peoples Act 1951,
provides for disqualification of persons
convicted by a Court of Law from
contesting elections. In case of certain
offences, disqualification arises only if
conviction is accompanied by sentence
44 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
of imprisonment for prescribed period.
This period in general is 2 years or
more. This obviously is quite liberal a
restriction, particularly in view of the
fact that in India cases take years to be
settled, evidence against influential
people is difficult to get them convicted
and courts while awarding punishment
generally take a lenient view. Therefore,
as already mentioned, today we have
in Parliament and State Legislative
Assemblies persons accused of
committing heinous crimes, but not
convicted yet.
In view of this, Election Commission
from time to time has been
recommending amending of the law. It
has suggested that law should make it
mandatory for a person convicted by a
court of law and sentenced to
imprisonment for six months or more
to be debarred from contesting polls
for a period of the sentence imposed
and an additional six years. The
Commission has also suggested that
any person who is accused of any
offence punishable with imprisonment
for five years or more should be
disqualified, even when her/his trial is
pending, provided that the competent
court of law has taken cognizance of
the offence and framed the charges
against her/him.
Not seeing an amendment coming
soon, the Election Commission with a
view to create public opinion and bring
transparency about criminals entering
the fray, in August 1997 issued an
order. This order made it mandatory
for every candidate to file affidavit
about her/his convictions in cases
covered by law. The Commission also
clarified that the conviction by Trial
Court itself is sufficient to attract
disqualification and even those who are
released on bail during the pendency
of their appeals against their conviction
are disqualified for contesting elections.
The Election Commissions position was
further strengthened by a judgement
of the Supreme Court delivered on
2 May, 2002 asking the government
to amend the rules to make it obligatory
for candidates for elections to the Lok
Sabha and the State Assemblies, to give
information about their assets and
liabilities, qualifications and criminal
antecedents if any. The Election
Commission by an order of 14 May,
2002 implemented Supreme Courts
directives. Political Parties, however,
have not felt comfortable with this and
favoured disqualifications only in case
of conviction and that too for heinous
offences. With regard to orders of
Election Commission about filing
affidavit political parties so far are
ambiguous. How they would react to
it, will be known during the general
election only.
In addition to above efforts and
suggestions to check entry of criminals
in politics, Election Commission has
taken some more steps to control the
use of muscle power. This include
ordering fresh poll in case of
destruction of ballot papers, and ballot
boxes in polling booths and coercion,
intimidation and impersonation at
polling stations; withholding the result,
pending investigation by the
Commission on complaints of booth
ELECTION REFORMS
capturing and recommending actions
against officers for neglect of duties.
Certain electoral offences, like carrying
arms near election booths, have been
made cognizable. However, much
needs to be done in the direction of
cleaning the political process of crime,
mafia and violence.
Representation of Women
Another deficiency of the system is that
of inadequate representation of women
in legislatures. In recent years, this
issue has become important and there
has emerged a demand for assured
representation. 73rd and 74th
amendments of the Constitution has
provided for 33 per cent reservation of
seats for women in Panchayati Raj
Institutions and Municipalities. A move
is afoot to amend the Constitution
to provide such reservation in
Parliament and State legislatures.
However, there are some differences
among political parties with regard to
the accommodation of SCs/STs
and OBCs.
In Election Commissions view,
while it is necessary to substantially
increase the representation of women
in Parliament and State Assemblies, the
issue needs to be looked at from a
wider perspective. The objective must
remain, to have a much greater
presence of women, without in any
way diminishing the vibrancy of
Indian political system, and the
resultant effectiveness of Parliamentary
institutions. The aim is to achieve a
genuinely active participation of women
in the political process, and their
45
adequate representation in decision
making bodies at all levels of our system.
Therefore, the need is to create, such
conditions as may give them increased
opportunities of organic and harmonious
growth in the Indian polity.
The Commission has, therefore, put
forward a suggestion that instead of
following the reservation rule, with the
possibility of further internal
reservation within reservation, it may
be more desirable to insist on all
recognised political parties, giving
adequate space to women in the
political process. This can be easily
achieved by a simple legal provision,
which will require all recognised
political parties, to set up a specified
percentage of women candidates, in all
State and Parliamentary elections, that
they may take part in. While the political
parties will get the requisite flexibility,
to choose the constituencies and the
women candidates, that may be most
appropriate in their judgment, women
political workers will also have to
quickly come forward for effective work
in the Indian political arena. The
current representation of women in
Parliament is about 8 per cent only.
This proposal envisages that the parties
will so fix a percentage for women
candidates, that the accepted success
rate is enough to ensure a sizeable
increase in the presence of women in
the Parliament and State Assemblies.
If this idea is taken up, the controversy
of further internal reservation also will
become unnecessary. It will be open to
political parties, to give as many tickets
as they please out of the percentage
46 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
fixed to candidates from the less
fortunate sections. The Commission
has observed that this mechanism of
ensuring a minimum percentage of
women candidates has apparently
worked well in the Northern European
countries. The suggestion has the merit
of not requiring Constitutional
amendment, eliminating current
controversies, and going forward
with a simple amendment in the
Representation of Peoples Act. It will
be for the political parties to decide the
percentage to be fixed.
Election Machinery and
Management of Elections
Apart from correcting the aberrations
that have come to light or emerged in
the system it is also equally important
that independence and credibility of the
election machinery to conduct free and
fair elections may not only be
maintained but also be consolidated.
For that purpose, suggestions have
been made to assure the independence
of the Commission and empower it
further to function as a meaningful
body. Election Commission itself has
urged to amend the Constitution to limit
the strength of the Commission to three
members including the Chief Election
Commissioner. It is pointed out that
any further increase in the size of the
existing three member body would
make it unwieldy and hamper
expeditious decision making for free
and fair elections. It has also been
suggested that the two Election
Commissioners should be provided
with the same immunity and
protections as was available to the Chief
Election Commissioner under the
Constitution. In addition the
Commission has asked for an
independent secretariat on the lines of
Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Secretariat.
It has been suggested that the
administrative expenditure of the
Commission and its secretariat should
be charged from the consolidated fund
of India, similar to the lines of Union
Public Service Commission (UPSC) and
Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
It is pointed out that a fine tuned
Election Commission, supported by
adequate and appropriate legislative
and administrative measures alone can
tackle the problems the system is facing.
In addition to strengthening of the
Election Commission, the other
measures suggested include regular
and efficient preparation of Electoral
rolls so that all eligible citizens are
enrolled; issue of identity cards to voters
to check impersonation and rigging,
use of electronic voting machines to
check bogus voting and achieve
efficiency; compulsory voting to bring
voters out of cynicism, rotation of
reserved seats to provide opportunities
to both general and SCs/STs
candidates to contest elections from
other constituencies, etc. There are
various proposals on issues of
procedures and management. The
purpose as a whole is to make elections
a process of electing peoples
representatives in a genuine democratic,
transparent and meaningful way.
ELECTION REFORMS 47

The health of a democracy depends potential deficiencies, flaws and

on the choice of representatives and
leaders, which in turn is directly linked
to the way elections are conducted. We
have seen that the Constitution of India
has not only given to its citizens
universal suffrage but also provided for
an independent statutory body to
conduct and supervise elections in a
reasonably creditable manner. Though
parties in power are prone to abusing
authority for electoral gains, there has
never been any serious state sponsored
rigging in most of India. However,
conduct of elections all these years has
also brought to light the actual and
loopholes in the existing system as also
the aberrations that have crept in. Need
for reforms now is felt at all levels of
opinion. Various bodies, experts, and
Election Commission have exhaustively
analysed, identified and prescribed
various reforms. However, at political
level there is as yet lack of consensus
and sense of expediency. Nevertheless
pressure is on. What is important to
understand, however, is that ultimately
it is public awareness and intervention
that brings the results. Therefore , what
is needed is a rejuvenated public
participation in political process.

EXERCISES

1. Describe the main shortcomings of the present election system in India.

2. Why electoral reforms are necessary in India?
3. Explain the steps taken, so far, in respect of election reforms.
4. Examine the major suggestions for electoral reforms.
5. Write short notes on the following:
(i) Restructuring of electoral system;
(ii) Criminalisation of politics;
(iii) State funding of elections;
(iv) Representation of women;
(v) Regulating Political Parties.
 UNIT II
PARTY SYSTEM, PUBLIC OPINION AND
INTEREST GROUPS
CHAPTER 4
I N the present day political systems,
democratic or otherwise, political
parties are considered as indispensable
part of political process. The only parts
of the world in which they do not exist
are those where they are suppressed by
dictatorship or military rule. In
representative democracies they are the
major tools of the functioning of the
system. At the same time, they are also
often crucial for the success of non-
democratic systems, as for instance in
Communist regimes or in Facist and
Nazi regimes. Of course, the nature of
party system and their role in the two,
i.e. democratic and non-democratic
regimes, are different. Before we discuss
the nature and role of party system it
will be proper to have a proper
understanding of the definition and
meaning of political parties.
POLITICAL PARTIES
In general terms, a political party may
be defined as an organised group of
people sharing common policy
preferences and programmes, for the
purpose of acquiring and retaining
Political Parties
and Party System
government power by electoral or other
means. A political party, therefore,
possesses features like an organisation,
definite views on political issues, a well-
formulated line of action, a will and desire
to acquire political power and the desire
to implement the proclaimed polices. In
this sense with the aim of acquiring and
retaining political power the party as an
organisation is different from other
groups, social or even political.
The capture of political power can
be achieved within existing political
structures either through elections in
democracies, or by revolutions or
coups. As is generally, understood the
word party is used by groups seeking
political power. In this sense we can
say that four characteristics define
parties and distinguish them from
other groups:
(i) Parties aim to exercise government
power by winning or capturing
political office.
(ii) Parties are organised bodies with a
formal membership. This
distinguishes them from broader and
more diffused political movements.
52 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
(iii) Parties focus on broad issues,
addressing each of the major areas
of the government policy.
(iv) The parties are united by shared
political preferences and a general
ideological identity, to varying
degrees.
From the above, it is clear that
though, in general, parties are known
for contesting elections, revolutionary
parties are not organised or intended
to fight elections. The aim of all however,
is to seek power, though by different
means. The task, of capturing and
retaining political power with a desire
to achieve common goals, involves
various related functions.
FUNCTIONS OF POLITICAL PARTIES
Since parties are primary organisations
to attain and exercise power, they are
an integral part of the political system.
One of the most important functions of
political parties is that of unifying,
simplifying and stabilising the political
process. To attain political power,
parties have to unite various segments
or groups including religions, caste,
class and ethnic groups. Thus, in most
political systems parties can bring
together sectional interests, overcome
geographical distances and provide
coherence sometimes to divisive social
structures. They seek to broaden the
range of interests they represent and
harmonies these interests with each
other. The major exception to this is the
behaviour of sectional or ethnic parties
that might lose support from their main
base if they were to be more inclusive.
Perhaps the most important
function of political parties, particularly
in democracies is representation. In
this, political parties place before
citizens different programmes and
policies, field candidates in elections,
and formulate and implement their
policies when called to form government.
The parties also provide link between
the citizens and the government,
between the electorate and the
representative institutions. Parties
present different choices to electorate
and articulate alternative goals for
the society. In fact, parties have
emerged as one of the most important
means through which societies set
collective goals.
Linked with the function of
representation is that of providing
political leaders. Parties provide a
training ground for politicians, equip
them with skills, knowledge and
experience and bring them in public life
as leaders. In political systems where
political parties are absent or weak,
political leaders and elites are generally
recruited from traditional elites, such
as hereditary ruling families, or through
religious or military organisations.
Parties create political opportunity and
help political system by providing a
wider choice of leaders.
Another function that parties
perform is to educate, instruct and
activate the electorate. In language of
political science this is also called
function of interest articulation and
aggregation. In the process of
developing collective goals parties often
develop as vehicles through which
POLITICAL PARTIES AND PARTY SYSTEM
business, labour, religious, ethnic or
other groups advance or defend their
interests. The fact is that national
parties articulate the demands of
various groups, forces them to
aggregate these interests by drawing
them together into a coherent whole.
Parties also mobilise citizens to
participate in politics. This function
is known as socialisation and
mobilisation. These activities may be
restricted to election periods. These
may also extend beyond elections and
parties may continue to consolidate and
increase their support through various
ways like organising rallies, meetings
and discussions. It may be mentioned
here that in one party system this
role is primarily concerned with
propagation of the official ideology. In
democratic regimes while parties
mobilise people for their own support,
this also helps encouraging people to
play an active role in democratic game,
thereby strengthening the democratic
systems themselves.
Finally, as a logical consequence of
the task of capturing power political
parties have very important function of
forming government. In Parliamentary
democracies this role is so important
that government is known by the name
of the Party i.e. Congress government,
NDA government etc. In parliamentary
democracies where it is necessary for
the government to have support of
majority of legislators, it is only parties
that can give a degree of stability and
coherence. If a single party wins
majority in the election, members of the
government are drawn from that party
53
and are therefore united by common
programme. Even governments that are
formed by a coalition of parties are more
likely to foster unity and agreement
than ones that consist of separate
individuals. Additionally, in the process
of seeking power, parties formulate
programmes of government with a view
to attracting popular support.
It may be mentioned here that the
above description of political parties is
general in nature. Importance of this
would also depend on the type and
nature of government, social, economic
and cultural environment of the society
and prevailing political culture. These
factors along with historical traditions
set what is known as the type of party
system as also establishment and
development of types of parties.
PARTY SYSTEMS AND TYPES
OF PARTIES
As mentioned above depending on
the historical roots, type of government
or regime and socio-economic
environment in any country, there
emerge different number and type of
parties. There is no general theory or
principle to classify party systems or
types of parties. In general there is a
practice to classify party systems on the
basis of number of parties in a country
and on the relative strength of the parties.
The nature of a party is generally
determined by the ideological or
programmatic preferences and
organisational structures. On the basis
of number and relative strength of
parties, the party systems are generally
54 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
divided into (i) One party system;
(ii) Dominant party system; (iii) Two party
system; and (iv) Multi party system.
One party system
By one party system is meant those
systems in which a single party enjoys
a monopoly of power through the
exclusion of all other parties. This is
done either through constitution or by
political means. In many countries,
particularly the communist countries,
the constitution itself allows existence
of only one party. In certain countries
though there is no legal restriction on
formation of parties, the rulers in power
do not allow parties other than their
own party to function by means of
coercion and suppression or using
other legal and extra legal means.
There may also be only one party
because of conditions like anti-colonial
national movement or domination by a
very popular and charismatic leader.
Dominant Party System
By dominant party system is meant a
party system where more than one
party exist and freely compete but one
party gets much higher support than
any other party. Dominant party thus
forms the government and remain in
power for years without a fear of losing
power. The opposition parties are weak
and divided. A dominant party system
as such is competitive in the sense that
a number of parties compete for power
in elections, but is dominated by a
single major party that consequently
enjoys prolonged periods in power. For
example in India the Congress party
enjoyed unbroken spell of power for
about 30 years i.e. from 1947 to 1977.
After remaining in opposition for less
than three years it again emerged as the
dominant party in 1980. It lost elections
again in 1989. Therefore, it can be said
that dominant party system may not
be a continuous or permanent one.
Another feature of dominant party
system is that there is competition
between factions within dominant party
itself. Some times even the criticism
against government may come from
internal factions. But in general
opposition to government both from
factions and opposition parties remain
weak and ineffective. Dominant party
then may behave as one party system.
This of course is not healthy for the
growth of democracy. Japan, India,
South Africa and some other countries
provide examples of periods of
dominant party systems. In general the
dominant systems are on the decline.
Two Party system
A two party system is one in which there
is plurality of parties but two parties of
broadly comparable size receive major
electoral support. In short, two party
system has following characteristics.
Although a number of parties may
exist, only two parties enjoy
sufficient electoral and legislative
strength to have a realistic prospect
of winning government power.
The party getting the support of the
majority is able to form the
government alone and the other
party provides main opposition.
POLITICAL PARTIES AND PARTY SYSTEM
Power alternates between these two
parties; both are able to form
government at one time or the other.
In this, opposition is strong as it is
called the government in the waiting.
At one time two party system was
considered the most desirable for
parliamentary democracies as it
provides both a stable government as
well as a strong opposition. But of late
it is being felt that the system restricts
the ideological choices. Also the two
equally matched parties in order to
show each other down may start
behaving irresponsible by presenting
too populist manifestos and formulate
policies without consideration of
economic health of the country.
However, many observers still feel that
two party system is the best way of
reconciling responsiveness with order
and representative government with
effective government. The UK, the USA,
Canada, Australia, etc. are the
countries cited as examples of two party
system. However, even in these
countries the classical two party system
is not there. Many a times a third or a
fourth party becomes significant
forcing the formation of a coalition
government.
Multi Party System
A multi party system is that in which
more than two parties compete for
power reducing the chances of single
party winning the majority. There is no
definite number of major political
parties in the field. In fact in such
systems, some times minor parties are
55
able to play an important role in the
formation of the government, keeping
the single largest party out of
government. Multi party systems
in parliamentary democracies are
blamed for producing weak and
unstable government with confused
accountability. On the other hand
supporters of multi party system say
that it is more representative and
accountable. In coalitions governments
have to work keeping in view the
interests of various groups and sections
rather than the main support base of
one major party. The system also
creates internal checks and balances
within the government. Multi party
system had been prevalent in Italy,
Germany, France and Scandinavian
countries of the developed world. Some
developing countries like India have
also moved to this system after initial
years of dominant party system. In fact
in most countries both dominant
system and two party system are on the
decline and are being replaced by
multiparty systems.
PARTY SYSTEM IN INDIA
As in other representative democracies
in India also political parties are an
established part of political process.
However, unlike in the Wester n
democracies where parties came into
existence as a result of introduction of
representative election system, Indias
party system originated in the late
nineteenth century as a response to the
British colonial rule and challenge.
During this period the party system on
56 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
the one hand represented an assertion
of national solidarity for national
liberation and on the other a vision for
new India.
POLITICAL PARTIES BEFORE
INDEPENDENCE
The beginning of the Indian Party
System can be traced to the formation
of the Indian National Congress as a
political platform in 1885. To begin
with Congress was a platform to express
the grievances of emerging middle class.
Soon, it became a nation wide
movement first to demand political
reforms in the colonial administration
and then a movement for national
freedom. In that process Congress
became an all embracing party
accommodating various social,
communal and economic interests with
primacy for national freedom. Moreover
as a consequence of British policy of
divide and rule and partly concerned
with apprehensions about the status of
communities and regions, there also
came up communal and caste based
parties like Hindu Mahasabha, Muslim
League, Akali Dal, Dravid Kanjahagam,
etc. In addition there also were formed
parties with an ideological vision for
future India. Most important of these
was the Communist Party. Thus, on
the eve of independence and before the
adoption of parliamentary democracy
in India there already were political
parties of different shades comprising
of well defined and distinct socio-
cultural regions, variety of religions,
cultural and linguistic groups and
economic disparities. It was in this
background that framers of the
Constitution adopted a parliamentary
system of democracy and federalism in
India and hoped that a proper party
system would develop to run that
political system.
PARTY SYSTEM IN INDEPENDENT
INDIA
The framers of the Constitution
adopted for India a Parliamentary
System of government. Political parties,
obviously, were to be an essential
instrument for working of this system.
However, in the Constitution of India no
mention of parties or their functions
was made. Various provisions of the
Constitution, of course, provided
opportunities for parties to be
established, develop and function as in
any representative democracy. Only
legal provision that came up to regulate
political parties in a limited way was
Election Commissions powers to
register political parties for the purpose
of allotment and reservation of symbols.
Later a mention of parties came in the
Tenth Schedule of the Constitution in
the context of defections. Thus, party
system in India is undefined and
unregulated except for extremely
limited purposes of registration by the
Election Commission and under the
provisions of anti-defection law.
Nevertheless, right from the time of
independence along with the already
existing political parties there have been
emerging a number of parties of
different sizes with different ideologies
POLITICAL PARTIES AND PARTY SYSTEM
and programmes, each with its own
organisational structure. In view of the
peculiar historical background,
complex socio-economic environment
and tasks of development the party
system that has emerged in India and
is developing does not neatly fit into
generally prescribed one party, two
party and multi party system. Yet
certain characteristics of these
systems can be identified in different
periods. Various phases can be
described as: (i) One Party Dominance
Phase; (ii) Trends Toward Two Party
System; (iii) Hegemonic Domination;
and (iv) Multi Party System and
Coalition Era.
ONE PARTY DOMINANCE PHASE
As mentioned above right after
independence from the time of first
general election there were a large
number of political parties. However,
up to 1977 Indian National Congress
was the dominant party. It was the
ruling party both at the Centre and
almost in all the States. In
Parliamentary elections though the
Congress hardly won 50 per cent votes
but the gap between Congress votes and
that of any other single party was quite
enormous. For example, in the first
general elections while Congress polled
45 per cent votes, the next largest party
Praja Socialist Party secured 10.60 per
cent votes. Up to 1971 elections no
single party other than the Congress
crossed this limit of around 10 per cent
votes. The Congress was also the only
party that received votes from all States
57
and regions and from various categories
of population. The reasons for Congress
domination included its existence since
1885, role played by it as a vanguard
of the national movement for freedom,
its leaders like Mahatma Gandhi,
Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel and
others, and its wide organisational
network spread all over India.
Gradually with the elimination of these
factors and with spread of other
parties, particularly at State level, the
Congress domination began to decline.
This decline became quite evident in
1967 General Election, when both the
number of seats it won and votes it
polled declined. The Congress also lost
power in eight states. But in 1971
elections the party again emerged as the
dominant party. It was in 1977 that
after independence, for the first time
Congress lost power in the Centre as
also in many States. It was thus the end
of first phase of party system that is the
one party dominance.
TREND TOWARDS TWO PARTY
SYSTEM
1977 elections provided a major step
towards party institutionalisation and
possibilities of emergence of a two party
system. In these elections there was a
substantial reduction in the number of
candidates despite the increase in
number of seats (there were 2,439
candidates for 542 seats compared to
2,784 for 518 seats in 1971). There was
significant increase in the number of
straight contests. The number of clear
straight contests was 101. But if one
58 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
does not count for 1 or 2 independents
seeking elections in a constituency,
besides the candidates of the rival
parties, the number of virtual straight
contests were 279. Within this another
noteworthy trend was the clear rejection
of independent candidates. Though the
number of independent candidates was
highest in 1977, the number of those
who won was the lowest (7 out of 1,222).
Finally, 75.8 per cent of the votes were
cast in favour of only two parties namely
the Janata and the Congress.
As a result of this and victory of a
non-Congress party at the Centre for
the first time many scholars and
observers opined that parliamentary
democracy in India had matured and
a two party system was in the process.
The hope, however, was short lived. The
Janata Party which had come into
existence with the merger of four parties
rather than emerging a cohesive singly
party, in its behaviour remained a
conglomeration of parties. Result was
internal bickering and factionalism that
not only became a major hindrance in
its performance but also tarnished its
image in public eyes. It ultimately led
to an atmosphere that proved
conducive to its disintegration and
disillusionment of the voters. The party
could not remain together even for
three years.
THE HEGEMONIC DOMINANCE
On the basis of 1980 elections, the
Indian party system was again back to
one party dominant system. However,
it was now different not only from the
early party system of Nehru era but also
from that of the latter part of the pre-
emergency. First thing was that the
dominant party now was identified with
the name of the leader (Indira) who had
become undisputed leader of the party.
The attitude of the ruling Congress
to the opposition parties also
underwent a marked change. So long
as the Congress was a dominant party
and the only national force in the
country, the opposition was treated
with respect and it was able to emerge
as a force to reckon with at the state
and local levels. But after the successful
Janata challenge in 1977 and the split
in the Congress, the top leadership of
the Congress had started feeling
increasingly insecure and the party
became intolerant and exclusivist,
unwilling to share power with
other parties.
At the same time opposition parties
also, after tasting power, having lost the
capacity to oppose Congress on moral
grounds because of their behaviour as
a ruling party got engaged in politics of
confrontation. Some of them had also
brought factors like caste in the
forefront and won significant support
on that basis in some states.
Thus, in 1980s the Congress(I)
dominance in reality was not the
dominance of one party all over India
and based on a type of politics of
consensus. It was a hegemonic
dominance because of failure of
national level non-Congress parties on
the one hand and limited regional
support bases of regional parties on the
other. In this hegemonic phase
POLITICAL PARTIES AND PARTY SYSTEM
unlike the one party dominance phase,
in which the organisational structure
of the party which sought to represent
different interests and identities within
the society was important, the party had
become dependent on the personality
of the leader.
MULTI PARTY SYSTEM AND
COALITION ERA
The Parliamentary elections held in
December 1989 clearly initiated a multi
party system at the centre. The states
component of the system, in aggregate
terms had already become a multi
partisan one by 1967 when nearly half
of the states had come to be ruled by
non-Congress parties. 1989 elections,
according to observers, transformed
the scene at the centre in two
unprecedented ways. First, it brought
into power a coalition government at the
centre for the first time, at least in a
formal sense (for even the Janata Party
government in the late 1970s was
substantially a coalition government).
Second, again for the first time the
party system at the centre truly
acquired a multi party character for
more than two parties became of
consequential relevance, in the ninth
Lok Sabha. The outcome of the 1991,
1996, 1998 and 1999 polls have
further strengthened this situation
and showed a clear trend of decline
of Congress hegemony and emergence
of multi party system and a
coalitionist phase.
But it does not mean that this multi
party character is there sure to stay or
59
a polarisation process is on.
Polarisation means consolidation of
the appeal by political parties with
sharply defined ideologies. The new
system, at least for the time being, has
thrown up a dynamism in which major
parties or party like formations the
Congress and its allies, the BJP and its
allies seem to be almost equally
poised for competition. The Left and
regional parties may play a balancing
role. In this multipolarity it also seems
that Indian politics has entered a
coalition phase. Some observers see
it as dangerous for the future of
parliamentary democracy in India as it
causes instability. But in fact it is
nothing unusual. In a country so vast,
with so much of diversity, both the
multi party system and coalition
governments are natural. Even in
developed Western democracies with
much less diversity like France,
Italy, Germany and others there had
been coalitions. In a way coalition
governments tend to be more
accountable due to continuous threat
to their existence. Therefore, it is not the
party system or single party or coalition
governments responsible for success or
failure of democracy. It depends on
various other factors which we will
discuss in subsequent chapters.
TYPES OF PARTIES: NATIONAL AND
STATE
From the above it emerges that because
of its peculiar social structure, level of
political development and institutional
framework India has developed her own
60 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
type of multi party system. Various
parties, however, are not of equal size
or equal spread. On the basis of
strength and areas of functioning the
Election Commission of India registers
parties as national parties and state
parties and unrecognised parties.
According to the Election Symbols
(Reservation and Allotment) order,
1968, a political party shall be treated
as a recognised political party in a State
if, and only if either of the conditions
specified in clause (A) or the conditions
specified in clause (B) are fulfilled. These
are: (A) that such party (i) has been
engaged in political activity for a
continuous period of five years; and
(ii) has at the general election to the
House of people in that State or to the
Legislative Assembly returned either
one member to the House of the People
for every twenty-five members of that
House or any fraction of that number
elected from that State or at least one
member to the Legislative Assembly of
that State for every thirty members of
the Assembly or any fraction of that
number; (B) That the total number of
votes polled by all the contesting
candidates setup by such party at the
general election in the State to the
House of the People or to the Legislative
Assembly is not less than four per cent
of the total number of valid votes polled
by all the contesting candidates at such
general election in the State.
A Party fulfilling the conditions
either of (A) or (B) is recognised as a state
party. A political party recognised as
state party at least in four states is
recognised as a national party. Parties
which are not recognised as state
parties because of lack of strength but
are otherwise registered with the
Commission are called unrecognised
registered parties. An exclusive symbol
is reserved for a national party
throughout India. In the case of a state
party a symbol is reserved for it in the
State or States in which it is so
recognised. It is obvious that there is
no permanent list of recognised parties.
It is revised after every general election
by the Election Commission in the light
of the criterion laid down. Let us now
have a look at one of the important roles
of political parties in a democratic
system i.e. the role of opposition.
ROLE OF OPPOSITION PARTIES
In the beginning of this chapter you
have read that the primary goal of a
political party is to seek power, but in
addition to that as a part of the task of
seeking power in democracies, political
parties also perform other functions. In
this process a party which does not
acquire power during election, apart
from performing the functions of
governance, continues to perform all
other functions as a political party
including the role of opposition. As
opposition the party or parties, are
expected to present themselves as an
alternative government both by
challenging the governments policies
and measures between elections and by
offering themselves as potential
governing parties at the election. For
this purpose the opposition keeps the
government in check, provides to the
POLITICAL PARTIES AND PARTY SYSTEM
people alternative policies and pro-
grammes, and keep them aware of the
shortcomings in the performance of the
government: its failures, the deviations
from promises, misuse of power. In
other words the opposition in addition
to provide alternatives, caters to the
need of providing checks and balances
to the ruling party by criticising it on
its excesses, lapses and acts of omission
and commission. To perform such a role
it is important that opposition party/
parties is/are strong, viable and
responsible both in quantity and
quality. By quantity is meant that the
opposition should have enough
support that a small change in voters
preference can bring it to power. By
quality is meant that people should
have faith in the capacity and credibility
of the opposition.
In view of such an important role,
in many parliamentary democracies,
opposition party is given an official
recognition. In Britain for instance, the
opposition party has been officially
recognised. There is as such Her/His
majestys government and Her/His
majestys opposition. The leader of the
opposition is provided the same salary
and privileges as that of a cabinet
minister. His/her most special privilege
and responsibility, however, is that
related to the possibility of being called
at any time to constitute an alternative
government. Therefore, she/he has at
all times to keep a shadow cabinet
ready so that at short notice the shadow
may be converted into a reality and can
take over the task of the government.
This can be either if the government of
61
the day is defeated on the floor of the
House or in general elections. That is
why it is said that todays opposition is
tomorrows government and vice-versa.
This system of government and
opposition best functions in a two party
system where two parties are almost
equal in strength and can replace each
other with a little change in vote
percentage. In multi party systems, in
many cases, the opposition parties are
more opposed to each other than to the
party in power. It does not, however,
mean that in a multi party system
opposition has no role or is not relevant.
In a way the role of keeping check on
ruling party in such a case becomes
more important, because the ruling
party who is not much worried of defeat
because of a divided opposition may
tend to become irresponsible or
corrupt. Also it is not always that a multi
party system is a one party dominant
system. Therefore, both the government
and the opposition can be alliances or
group of parties thereby functioning as
regular government and opposition. In
any case, opposition is a very important
factor in a democracy and needs to be
strong. At the same time in different
situations and types of party systems
the nature and role of opposition can
be different. Nevertheless, whatever the
situation is, both the ruling party and
the opposition are expected to play their
respective roles with responsibility,
honesty and with dignity.
OPPOSITION IN INDIA
In the early years of the Republic,
in spite of their weak and fragmented
62 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
position in the Parliament, the
opposition parties played a very
important role. The leaders of these
parties actively participated in debates,
raised important national issues and
took the government to task for its
failures. Those leaders were respected
and known for their integrity and
commitment to the task of nation and
constitution building. Nehru not only
tolerated but encouraged them. He
believed that there are two or more sides
to every question and called upon the
opposition spokesman to present the
other side of the picture whenever an
important issue arose. The question
hour in particular was used very
effectively to keep the government
on its toes.
As has been mentioned in the
beginning, neither the Constitution nor
any law in India, spoke about political
parties. Thus, political system in India
gave opportunities to political parties,
to grow and participate in the system
without much conditions. In the early
years, there was a situation of one party
dominant. Though there was no legal
provision for a recognised opposition
party, there was a provision for
recognition as a parliamentary party, if
a party had obtained 50 seats. It was
only in 1969 that for the first time
Congress (O) was recognised as a
parliamentary party apart from
Congress (R) and its leader Dr Ram
Subhag Singh had the honour of being
the first person to be recognised as the
leader of the opposition. Interestingly,
this opposition came from within
Congress itself as a result of split in the
party. It was only in 1977, during
Janata Partys government, that by an
act of Parliament, the leader of the
opposition was given a statutory
recognition and his salary and privileges
were fixed as that of a cabinet minister.
With the elimination of the national
level leadership and political power
becoming an instrument of vested
interests and subsequent decline of
institutions, interaction between
government and opposition has been
on the decline. The 1975-77 emergency
and the 1977 election results had
aroused high hopes about evolution of
a healthy party system in India. In that
election for the first time the opposition
emerged as an alternative ruling party.
Indira Gandhi accepted the defeat. It
was expected of the opposition to
provide an issue-oriented politics and
to define the issues along socially just
and democratic lines. But, this did not
happen.
For a healthy democracy both the
ruling party and the opposition are
important. Opposition also has to play
a positive and constructive role. It is
important for both opposition and
government to remember that they
have to change their roles. If people
start losing complete faith in political
parties and consequently in democracy
itself then it will be too easy for any
authoritarian ruler or group to take
charge of the system with the approval
of the masses. That will not only be the
end of democracy but also of political
parties. Events in some neighbouring
countries are before us. Let us therefore
be on our guard before it is too late.
POLITICAL PARTIES AND PARTY SYSTEM 63

EXERCISES

1. What is meant by Political Parties? What major functions parties perform?

2. Explain different party systems.
3. Examine the merits and demerits of One Party Dominance.
4. Explain the reasons for emergence of One Party dominance in India.
5. How political parties in India are recognised as National and State Parties.
6. Explain the emerging trends in party system in India.
7. Examine the nature and role of Opposition in India.
8. Write short notes on the following:
(i) Two Party System;
(ii) Hegemonic Dominance;
(iii) Political parties in India before independence;
(iv) Role of opposition in democracies.
64 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
CHAPTER 5
National and State Parties
I N the last chapter we have read that
in India there are seven national
parties and several state parties
and unrecognised registered and
unregistered parties. These parties
have been formed on the basis of
different political programmes. Some
parties seek support from particular
social groups more than others either
because of the nature of their
programmes or mobilisation. For the
students of Political Science it is
essential to have some knowledge about
the ideologies or programmes of these
parties and their support basis. In this
chapter we will read about these
aspects of national parties and have a
general discussion on the nature and
role of regional parties.
INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS
Indian National Congress is the oldest
political party not only of India but in
the whole of the developing world of
Afro-Asian countries. It was founded
on 27 December, 1885 at Bombay. To
begin with, it was an association of the
small westernised, university educated
middle class members. For the first two
decades it was primarily concerned
with demands for political reforms
within British colonial rule. At that time
its leadership was quite moderate that
believed in constitutional and legal
means for its activities. Around 1907,
there emerged a militant wing in the
party that raised the demand for
Swaraj and started using more
assertive methods of mobilisation and
protest. For a time the Congress
remained divided into moderate and
extremist wings. Soon it became an all
comprehensive movement for national
liberation. By 1920 with the emergence
of Mahatma Gandhi it had become a
mass movement. As a national
movement the Congress functioned as
an umbrella organisation admitting in
its ranks peoples of all shades and
opinions. Thus, ideologically, it had
rightists, leftists and centrists trends in
it. Because of this nature and role of
party, Gandhiji suggested that after
independence Congress should be
dissolved. Others, however felt, that
after leading the struggle for
independence, the Congress should
lead independent India in its task
of nation building and establishment
of democracy.
NATIONAL AND STATE PARTIES
After independence Congress
became the ruling party. There were
many factors in its favour to grow as a
dominant party. These were: (i) an all
India organisation with national goals
and established and respected
leadership; (ii) a centrist ideology of
secularism, socialism and democracy
that attracted various sections
of population; (iii) a wide spread
support base that included various
interests, classes, regions, groups and
communities. With these benefits the
Congress became a dominant party.
Up to 1967 the Congress was able
to form government both in the Centre
and almost in all the States. Though
the Congress was a dominant and all
embracing party, there were factions
and groups within the party based on
ideological and personality differences.
Under the dominating leadership of
Jawaharlal Nehru these factions could
not come out openly. From 1962
onwards with the decline of powerful
leadership and lack of popular
support due to dissatisfaction
from its performance, factionalism
became quite open and important.
Factionalism and groupism finally led
to the division of Congress in November
1969 into two parties Congress (I) led
by Indira Gandhi and Congress (O) led
by Morarji Desai, K. Kamaraj,
Nijalingappa. Indira Gandhi with her
background of Nehru family and
presenting herself as a progressive
leader led her faction to massive victory
in 1971-72 elections bringing Congress
(R) back as a dominant party. In 1977
Congress (O) got itself merged into
65
newly formed Janata Party. In the face
of defeat in 1977 elections the Congress
(R) itself got divided into two parties in
1978. Now there was Congress (I) i.e.
Congress led by Indira Gandhi and
Congress (S) led by Swaran singh, later
by Dev Raj Urs and there after by
Sharad Pawar. The elections in 1980
once again gave Indira Gandhis
Congress the legitimacy of dominant
party. This position remained so up to
1989, when once again leaders like
V.P. Singh left the Congress to join
hands with the opposition parties.
In 1994 there occurred another
division in the Congress and leaders
like Arjun Singh and N.D. Tiwari left to
form the Indira Congress. The Congress
at that time was led by Rajiv Gandhi.
While these people later came back to
the Congress another group led by
Sharad Pawar, P. A. Sangma and Tariq
Anwar left the party in 1999 to form
another party called National Congress.
Indian National Congress led by Sonia
Gandhi still has a significant support
base all over India, though it is no more
a dominant party.
In terms of ideology and
programme, Congress has projected
itself as a secular, democratic, and
modernising party. For economic
development it has expressed itself in
favour of land reforms, enlargement of
public sector and economic planning
within the frame work of mixed
economy. From 1955 onwards it
declared its goal as attainment of a
socialistic pattern of society. But the
partys social following and efforts to
win elections by accommodating all
66 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
interests made Congress to compromise
on its ideology. Thus, it has remained
more a pragmatic party rather than
ideologically committed. Since 1991,
it has clearly moved towards liberal
economic system from its earlier
commitment to socialism and public
sector. Hence, Congress is the initiator
of what is popularly known as
Economic Reforms and Structural
Adjustments. The Congress also
supported efforts towards social
reforms. Like most other parties it
opposes discrimination based on caste,
religion, region, sex, etc. It showed
sufficient sensitivity to the cause of
minorities particularly in its initial years
in independent India. The Congress
Partys foreign policy, specially under
the leadership of Nehru brought India
considerable prominence as a founder
and leader of Non-Aligned movement.
As already mentioned, before
independence, Congress was more a
movement than a party. After
independence it was transformed into
a party to contest elections. In view of
its background and power, a number
of people and groups began to
join Congress without necessary
commitment to its programmes. This
made Congress more a pragmatic party
than a programmatic one. These and
other such factors brought into
Congress wide spread factionalism,
sycophancy and centralisation of
power. As a result, organisationally,
Congress became a personalised, and
centrally controlled party. It is no more
a party of consensus, with a clear cut
programme for socio-economic
development and reforms. Yet, it
remains committed to values of
secularism and democracy. It still is
the party with largest social support
spread in almost all States and regions
of India. In that sense in terms of its
orientation, areas of operation and
support base Congress continues to be
the most significant national party.
THE JANATA PARTY
After about 30 years of Congress
domination in March 1977 for the first
time a conglomeration of five parties, i.e.
Congress (O), Bhartiya Lok Dal, Jan
Sangh, Socialist Party and Congress for
Democracy along with some dissidents
in Congress contesting jointly, defeated
the Congress in Lok Sabha elections.
Proclamation of national emergency in
1975 and suppression of democratic
rights and arrest of various leaders of
opposition political parties made it
imperative to unite for their survival.
Having won the elections in alliance
and feeling the necessity for
consolidation of non-Congress unity
these parties decided to merge
themselves in a single party.
Consequently on 1 May , 1977 was born
the Janata Party with the merger of
Congress (O) Bhartiya Lok Dal, Jan
Sangh, Socialist Party, Congress for
Democracy and the former Congressmen
who had left the Congress at the time of
proclamation of emergency.
Being a combination of various
parties, Janata partys programme was
bound to be mixed one and pragmatic
to satisfy all its constituents. At the
NATIONAL AND STATE PARTIES
same time it was a fact that in 1977
elections support against Congress had
come largely from North India and more
so from rural areas. Therefore, tilt of
Janata partys programme was towards
far ming classes. However, each
Constituent party was keen to
consolidate its own social base. Thus,
in spite of merger various constituents
in the Janata Party continued to work
as independent partners in a coalition.
The differences between various
segments extended to a wide range of
political and economic issues. The
Janata Party failed to evolve any
mechanism to regulate and harmonise
the conflicting interests of various
lobbies and groups. This ultimately led
to open division and in less than three
years in July 1979 the party got divided
into two. Most of the members of
erstwhile Bhartiya Lok Dal and Socialist
Party came out of Janata Party on the
issue of dual membership and formed
a new party named as Lok Dal.
Issue of dual membership meant
whether a member of Janata Party can
be a member of another political
organisation. This was raised
particularly in the context of erstwhile
Jan Sangh members continuing to be
members of Rashtriya Swayam Sewak
Sangh (RSS) which they claimed was a
socio-cultural organisation and not a
political one. In some, there were
differences galore. As a consequent of
the split the Janata Party government
fell. With the support of Congress, Lok
Dal formed a new government. But this
coalition also could not work for more
than six months and finally in 1980
67
fresh elections were held for the
Lok Sabha.
People of India, obviously felt
betrayed by the Janata Party and
therefore, in 1980 mid term polls voted
against both the Janata Party and the
Lok Dal. This brought Congress (I)
back to power. Soon after the elections
there came another split. Most of the
erstwhile Jan Sangh members along
with some others left the Party to form
Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).
JANATA DAL
Having lost two general elections in
1980 and 1984, some leaders among
non-Congress parties once again began
efforts for opposition unity. As a result
Janta Dal was born on 11 October,
1988, with the merger of Janata Party,
Lok Dal and Jan Morcha. In 1989
elections Janata Dal became a part
of National Front which has a
coalition of seven parties. Earlier some
congressmen including V.P. Singh had
left the Congress on the issue of
corruption. They also became a part of
the National Front. After November
1989 election, the National Front with
the outside support of BJP and CPM
formed the government.
Soon it became clear that both the
formation of Janata Dal and National
Front were negative considerations of
defeating the Congress without any
positive commitment to an ideology or
programme. Soon after coming to
power there were factional pulls and
pressures both in Janata Dal and
National Front. In November 1990, a
68 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
sizeable chunk of members came
out of Janata Dal and formed
Samajwadi Janata Party. In August
1992 Ajit Singh with his supporters left
Janata Dal to form Janata Dal (A). On
21 June, 1994, another group of
members came out of Janata Dal and
formed Samta Party. Thus, by
November 1995 Janata Dal stood much
reduced. It, however, continued to be
a national party as also a ruling party
in two States Bihar and Karnataka.
In 1996 elections, no party gained
majority. Bhartiya Janata Party
emerged as the single largest party but
could not get the support of others.
Hence, it failed to remain in power
beyond 13 days. This situation again
gave opportunity to Janata Dal to
lead a coalition government with
the support of the Congress. The
government thus formed was known as
United Front government led by
H.D. Deve Gowda and I.K. Gujral
respectively. But, the United Front
Government, also could not survive
beyond a year.
Even before the fall of United Front
government, once again in 1997 there
occurred another split in Janata Dal
and Rashtriya Janata Dal was formed.
The process did not end here. In 1998 it
got split once again when Biju Janata
Dal was formed. Needless to say each
split has weakened the Janata Dal
considerably. As a whole various
splinters like Rashtriya Janata Dal and
Samajwadi party have become regional
parties. The two factions that is Janata
Dal (S) and Janata Dal (U) have been able
to retain the status of national parties.
Almost all splits in Janata Dal had
been primarily on personality basis
rather than on any ideological
differences. Social base of various
splinter parties, that is Janata Dal,
Rashtriya Janata Dal, Samajwadi
Janata Party, etc. is the same as of other
backward classes and Muslims. All
of them stand committed to a
socialist perspective, devolution and
decentralisation of power, rural
reconstruction, secularism and justice
to lower and backward castes. None of
them, however, has been able to create
a functional structure or broaden its
support base. All factions of Janata Dal
rely on regional caste based support
and are dominated by single
individuals. Each of these Janata
factions has a significant support in
some States and regions; like Bihar,
Orissa, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, etc.
All efforts to unite them are proving
failures due to personality clashes.
BHARTIYA JANATA PARTY
Bhartiya Janata Party was founded in
April 1980 as a result of second split in
Janata Party. As already mentioned it
was mostly the members of erstwhile
Bhartiya Jan Sangh who constituted
the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).
Bhartiya Jan Sangh was founded
on 21 October, 1951, under the
presidentship of Dr Shyama Prasad
Mukerjee. The objective of founding the
Jan Sangh was rebuilding of India
as a modern, democratic society in
accordance with religious precepts and
four fundamentals of one country, one
nation, one culture and rule of law.
NATIONAL AND STATE PARTIES
From 1951 to 1977 Bhartiya Jan
Sangh had been a national party but
primarily concentrated in urban areas
of North India. In 1974 the party stood
in support of Jaya Parkash Narain
movement which was primarily an anti-
Congress, anti-corruption reform
movement. The party also actively
opposed the promulgation of internal
emergency in 1975. Ultimately joining
hands with other major non-Congress
parties, Bhartiya Jan Sangh also
dissolved itself and became a part of
Janata Party formed in April-May
1977. As already mentioned within
Janata Party there started differences
on various issues from the beginning.
Janata Party objected to the practice of
former Jan Sangh members continuing
to remain as members of the RSS. This
led to some socialist members coming
out of Janata Party to form Lok Dal; and
finally, after Janata Partys defeat in
1980, most of the erstwhile Jan Sangh
left members the Janata Party to form
Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP
thus, inherited two different legacies,
one that of the erstwhile Jan Sangh and
second of the Janata Party.
In view of the dual legacies and in
changed circumstances, BJP tried to
project itself different from Bhartiya Jan
Sangh. So while it permitted dual
membership with RSS, the party
proclaimed that its ideology was
Gandhian Socialism. In concrete terms
BJP programme was vague. It laid
equal stress on the development of
agriculture and industry, reduction of
taxes, recognition of citizens
fundamental right to work, introduction
69
of an employment guarantee scheme
and pension for the aged, etc. In due
course Gandhian Socialism was
transformed into liberalised Swadeshi.
Of course in election manifestos and
public speeches BJP leaders, like
Congress, promised some thing to
every one. But BJPs policies, as a senior
partner in National Democratic
Alliance government, clearly reflects
its commitment for liberalisation,
privatisation and globalisation.
In social field also the BJP promises
justice to all sections. It has accepted
the principle of reservation on caste
basis and 33 per cent reservation of
seats for woman in Parliament and State
Legislatures. The most important aspect
of BJP ideology, however, is cultural
nationalism . Some feel that in view of
its electoral compulsions, BJP has shed
its ideological homogeneity and
sharpness. Nevertheless, BJP remains
committed to the idea of one nation and
one culture. It criticises the politics of
minoritism allegedly followed by
Congress governments. It also does not
hide its criticism of what it calls pseudo-
secularism.
In terms of electoral support the
BJP, like its predecessor the Bhartiya
Jan Sangh, has a strong electoral
support base in the Hindi-speaking
regions, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Since 1989, it has been trying to extend
its base in South India also. It has been
particularly successful in Karnataka.
In terms of social base, BJPs traditional
votes have been coming from upper
castes, the small and medium traders
and shopkeepers in urban and rural
70 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
areas and a section of the Indian
middle class. Lately BJP has also made
a dent in other backward castes.
Since its formation in 1980, the BJP
has been increasing its vote percentage.
In December 1984, Parliamentary
elections party could win only two seats
securing 7.72 per cent votes. In 1989,
Lok Sabha polls, BJP share of vote rose
to 11.59 per cent and 88 seats.
According to observers BJPs sudden
rise, particularly in number of seats was
because of three reasons: (i) general
anti-Congress wave particularly in
North India; (ii) rise of communal
politics in the country; and (iii) seat
adjustments with other parties. In 1991
Lok Sabha elections, BJPs strength in
Lok Sabha increased to 122 with a vote
percentage of 20.9. Having won 161
seats in 1996 Lok Sabha elections BJP
emerged as the single largest party.
Thereafter in 1998, it won 180 seats
with 25.5 per cent votes and in 1999,
182 seats with 23 per cent votes. In
1999 elections it contested as an
alliance partner in the National
Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The BJP as such has emerged a
significant national party almost
comparable to Indian National
Congress. But its support base as yet
is limited to certain areas rather than
spread all over India. Also there is
ambiguity within the party on its
ideological stand particularly on
religious and cultural aspects. In terms
of economic programmes, like
Congress, it has become a centrist and
a pragmatic party.
THE COMMUNIST PARTIES
The two National Parties representing
a clear leftist ideology are Communist
Party of India (CPI) and Communist
Party of India Marxist [CPI(M)]. Their
origin, as with other communist parties
is based on the tenets of Marxism; with
the aim of establishing socialism. In
1964, because of ideological differences
the CPI got divided and the group that
came out formed the Communist Party
of India (Marxist).
The Communist Party of India (CPI)
was founded in 1925 by those who got
attracted towards Marxism and were
already engaged in revolutionary
activities. Of course at that time they
were facing repression from the British
colonial administration. They also had
close links with the Communist Party
of Great Britain and international
revolutionary movement.
In the late twenties and early thirties
the main arena of Communist activity
was provided by the Trade unions, in
which definite success was scored. The
second sphere where the CPI could
extend its mass following was provided
by the worker and peasant parties. As
the labour movement gained ground so
the activity of these parties also
intensified. During the 1930s the
party adopted a tactic of the United
Front from above in cooperation
with the nationalist movement. The
Communists joined the Congress and
soon secured leadership in its socialist
organisation the Congress Socialist
Party. They were, however, expelled
NATIONAL AND STATE PARTIES
from the Congress in 1939, on the issue
of double membership. The final break
with the Congress came with the Nazi
invasion of the Soviet Union. At that time
the CPI supported the British in Second
World War as a war against Fascism and
Nazism whereas Congress was preparing
to launch the Quit India Movement.
After independence there emerged
two factions within CPI on the basis of
the assessment of the political system
of independent India. One group felt
that independence of India was not real.
It was a transfer of power in the
framework of modified imperialistic
system. Therefore, there was need for
struggle under the leadership of CPI
and alliance with workers and
peasants. It was called a tactic of the
united front from below. This was the
line given by the Soviet Union, the then
leader of the International Communist
Movement. The other group was of the
view that the transfer of power was real.
Therefore, Nehru government needed to
be supported as a part of alliance with
nationalist forces. Soon the Soviet
position changed and the CPI was
advised to abandon the adventurist
tactics and instead work for the creation
of a broad anti-feudal, and anti-
imperialist front along with the
nationalist bourgeoisie. This gave the
direction, to what is called, movement
towards Constitutional Communism.
By Constitutional Communism is
meant to gain power by communists
through elections rather than through
their traditional approach of snatching
power through revolution. Thus, from
71
the very first general elections the CPI
began contesting elections in the multi
party system. It got encouraged from
the fact that compared to other
opposition parties it received better
support in the then situation of one
party dominant system. A historic
landmark was reached in 1957 when
in the second general elections the
Communist party won an absolute
majority in Kerala and formed the
government. This made clear the
chances of assuming power by peaceful
means. But the central government in
1959 dismissed the Communist Kerala
government in spite of party enjoying
majority support. This gave chance to
radical elements to suggest that in the
given system socialist reforms were not
so easy. By this time there also had
started emerging conflict between India
and Communist China which finally
resulted in India-China War in 1962.
The two factions in the CPI had different
interpretations about this war. While
the pro-Soviet group was clearly
opposed to China the other group
though not necessarily pro-China
blamed both China and India for the
conflict. Combination of all these factors
finally led to the split in party in
1964 when the more radical group
came out of CPI and formed CPI(M)
claiming itself to be the real Communist
Party of India.
THE CPI
After the 1964 split, the CPI had no
difficulty in following the Soviet line. The
72 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
main thrust of this line was that the CPI
accepted to deal with what it regarded
as progressive nationalist section in
the Congress, the major vehicle of
bourgeois nationalism.
It was in this context that the CPI
started assessing the Nehru
government and later supported Indira
Gandhi and her supporters. It
remained an ally of the Congress till
1977. Since then CPI started developing
an anti-Congress line. On the issue of
communalism the CPI has become
more critical of BJP. Since 1989, the
CPI has been contesting elections as an
ally of anti-Congress and anti-BJP left
and democratic front. But in its efforts
to achieve the goal of national
democracy the CPI had gone to the
extent of joining the coalition
government at Centre in 1996.
In its programmes party favours
communal harmony, secularism,
prevention of misuse of religious places
for disruptive activities. The CPI
expresses its commitment to work for
evolving a new and equitable international
economic order, curbing monopoly
houses and trans - national giants,
control over foreign trade; protection of
small scale industries, cottage industries
and artisans, strengthening the public
distribution system, government take-
over of wholesale trade in food grains;
need based minimum wage to factory
workers and others in the unorganised
sector; introducing social security
measures and preventing lock-out of
factories; effective workers participation
in management of units in the public
sector, crop insurance scheme; and
cancellation of loans taken by small
peasants, radical land reforms, including
fair wages to agricultural workers.
In foreign policy CPI favours
continuation of policy of non-alignment
and anti-imperialism and improvement
of friendship with neighbouring
countries. The growing escalation of US
imperialism is viewed as a decisive
impetus towards strengthening the
policy of non-alignment.
CPI(M)
The CPI(M)s position was that the CPI
was a revisionist party which had
deviated from Leninism and has
renounced Marxism.
The CPI(M) wanted to establish a
people s democracy. To attain this end
it worked to develop Peoples
Democratic Front. This Front was to
be led by the working class. The chief
allies of the working class would be
agricultural labourers and the poor
peasants in the countryside. The middle
peasants would be firm allies and even
the rich peasants can be allies up to a
point. The urban and other sections of
the petty bourgeoisie could also be
regarded as allies. The enemies of this
anti-feudal, anti-imperialist revolution
are the monopolists, the big
bourgeoisie, and the imperialists.
The CPI(M), at the same time did not
reject the Parliamentary path. It was
in view of this that in 1982 the CPI(M)
decided to work for a Broad anti-
authoritarian front including even the
Bhartiya Janata Party. However, it
reiterated at the same time that it will
spend its energies to build left and
democratic unity.
NATIONAL AND STATE PARTIES
Since 1992 there are certain
visible changes in Partys strategic
programmatic emphasis, but there is
no major change in the stand of the
party on the basic ideological questions.
While the anti-Congress edge of the
CPI(M) policy has not been diluted, it
has sharpened its attack on the BJP.
The party election manifestos on
economic issues emphasise the need for
India to become self-dependent
economically and to escape from the
clutches of the World Bank and the
International Monetary Fund (IMF).
According to CPI(M) not only India is
losing control over its economy because
of these but also Indias domestic and
foreign policies are moulded by
them. It is critical of liberalisation
of economy, increasing inequalities
and unemployment. It favours
implementation of land reforms,
minimum wages, creation of jobs; and
to achieve it all suggests demolition of
capitalist path of development. It
advocates nationalisation of textile and
jute industries and government take
over of big factories, protection of
unorganised workers, adequate wages
for farm labourers and the right to work.
In view of some policies of CPI(M)
as ruling party, particularly in
West Bengal, the critics have called
the economic stand of the party
as paradoxical and hypocritical.
Paradoxical because the party has
introduced economic liberalisation in
West Bengal in contravention of its
political philosophy; hypocritical
because it has attempted to justify this
policy while retaining in theory its
standard ideology.
73
The two communist parties have
now moved together to build and
develop a left unity. Both the parties
note a perceptible change in the
international situation and threats of
neo-colonialism. Since 1984, both the
parties have been contesting elections
as part of Left Front, as also United
Front. The CPI(M) dominates that front
and CPI occupies the number two
position. Their main emphasis at
present is that what India needs
urgently is national secular democratic
unity. The new US economic offensive
and the forces threatening national
integration are the main targets of their
attack.
As far as State Assemblies are
concerned the two Communist parties
have done well in West Bengal, Kerala
and Tripura. In all these three States,
the two parties either singularly or
jointly or in alliance with other parties
have been able to form government. In
1957 for the first time in the world a
Communist party formed government
after winning elections in a multi party
democratic system when CPI won
an absolute majority in Kerala. In
West Bengal, the Left Front led by
CPI(M) is in power continuously for
more than two decades.
As far as social base and
membership is concerned there is
hardly any difference between the two
Communist parties. They depend on
the support of working class, the middle
class and agricultural labour and small
peasants. Both are essentially middle
class parties, unable to draw much new
members from the younger generation.
74 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
The CPI(M) proximity to power,
particularly in West Bengal has made
it more acceptable to peasants. Its
following is intensive and concentrated
and therefore, translates more into
voting strength. The CPIs following is
diffused and scattered. Spatially, the
CPI(M) has a small following in the Hindi
heartland where the CPI is better placed.
Concentrated electoral strength has
made CPI(M) popular in West Bengal,
Tripura and Kerala.
BAHUJAN SAMAJ PARTY
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is the
youngest among the national parties.
Founded on 14 April, 1984, the party
is an expression of the dalit resurgence.
It has been emerging slowly in certain
parts of the country both as a result
of opportunities provided by a
democratic system and failure of other
national parties to provide social justice
to the dalits.
The BSP had its origin in All India
Backward (SCs, STs, OBCs) and
Minorities Communities Employees
Federation founded in 1978 by
Kanshi Ram a scientist in the
Explosive Research Development
Laboratory. After knitting his net
work among the government
employees across the length and
breadth of the country, particularly
in the Northern States he launched
yet another organisation DS-4
(the Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharash
Samiti) in 1981. Finally, on 14 April,
1984, BSP was launched. The
assumption was that people belong-
ing to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled
T ribes, Backwar d Castes and
minorities form 85 per cent of
countries population and constitute
the Bahujan; but a minority of upper
castes rule the country.
The BSP ideology, therefore, is
clear and sharp to mobilise dalits and
oppressed assuming that a volcanic
outburst of the oppressed class could
not be stopped for long and was
bound to happen one day. The Partys
prime objective is to build a cadre
devoted to educating dalits about
their rights.
In the beginning, the party was an
isolationist one declaring to have no
alliance with any other party. Its aim
was to initiate some socio-cultural
movement among the dalits. Later on
its strategy has undergone some
changes and it had allied and shared
power in Uttar Pradesh with BJP in
1995, 1997 and 2002, and had a
pre-election alliance with Congress in
1996. The party had also entered into
an alliance with the Samajwadi
Janata Party. Observers explain BSPs
change of strategy on the basis of
realisation that it was not capable of
garnering sufficient support from the
backward castes, which have no love
lost for the dalits. In fact the backward
dalit antagonism in rural India does
not allow the party to broaden its
base. The class interests of backward
sections, especially after land reforms
and green revolution, tend to clash
with the dalits, many of whom
NATIONAL AND STATE PARTIES
continue to be landless in rural India.
The antagonism between the upper
caste and the dalits is no longer as
sharp as it is between the backwards
and the dalits, in view of the changed
land ownership patterns in the last
two or three decades.
In less than a decade, BSP, at
least in Hindi-speaking States had
become a political force to the extent
that it can influence the electoral
fortunes of the major political parties
like the Congress, BJP and Janata Dal.
Thereafter, BSP has been making
continuing gains particularly in Uttar
Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab
and Madhya Pradesh. The party,
however, faces various and serious
hurdles in its efforts. While the claim
of a Bahujan Samaj points to a desire
to unite under dalit leadership a
wider section of society, but its core
appeal remains to dalits who
comprise just over sixteen per cent of
Indias voters. Further, the success
of BSP in North India has not been
equalled in other parts of the country.
In South India, in particular, there are
other dalit formations that have
created their own space. The BSPs
dream of ruling the country, therefore,
may remain utopia, except in the case
of a coalition. But it had made it clear
that in near future, at least, dalit power
will surely play a role in Indian politics.
STATE PARTIES
As already mentioned in addition to
national parties there are regional or
75
state parties. Some of these are
recognised regional parties on the basis
of their strength prescribed by the
Election Commission. At the same time
there are many unrecognised state
parties because of lack of necessary
voters support. Generally, speaking
regional parties are those which
generally and exclusively operate
within a limited geographical area of a
State, or which represent narrow social
interests. But in India we have several
types of regional parties. Broadly
speaking these can be divided into four
categories.
First category is of those parties
which are classical, regional ethnicity
or cultural based. These parties are by
choice regional interested to acquire
power in one or two States in the name
of that cultural, linguistic or ethnic
groups. Examples of these are All India
Anna Dravida Munetra Kazhagam
(AIADMK) and Dravida Munetra
Kazhagam (DMK), Shiv Sena, Asom
Gana Parishad, National Conference,
Indian Union Muslim League,
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Manipur
Peoples Party, Shiromani Akali Dal,
Sikkim Democratic Front, Telugu
Desam, etc.
Second category is of those
parties which have been formed by
split in national parties. Most such
parties were formed after 1967 by the
leaders coming out of Congress. Later
some such parties have also come
into existence from splits in Janata
and other parties. Examples of such
parties are Biju Janata Dal, Janata
76 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
Party, Kerala Congress, Rashtriya
Janata Dal, Samajwadi Janata Party,
Trinamool Congress etc.
The third category is of those
parties which on the basis of ideology
and programme have a secular
national perspective and also try to
operate at all India level, but lack a
national base. As such on the basis of
voter support these are recognised
only as state parties. Such parties
include All India Forward Block,
Indian National Lok Dal, Nationalist
Congress Party, Republican Party of
India, Revolutionary Socialist Party,
Samajwadi Party, etc.
Fourth category is of those parties
which in fact can be called
personalised parties. Such parties
are formed by individual leaders,
many of them coming out of national
or state parties on the basis of their
personal support or charisma in
specific areas. These parties generally,
do not survive long. They either get
finished with the personality of the
leader or get merged with some
national or regional party for some
share in power. Some such parties are
Himachal Vikas Congress, Haryana
Vikas party, Lok Shakti etc.
In addition to state or regional
parties there are also unrecognised
registered parties which are registered
with the Election Commission, but
due to the lack of sufficient electoral
support are not recognised for the
purposes of reservation of election
symbols. Such parties also can be
categorised into above four. Some
example of such parties are Akhil
Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, Akhil
Bhartiya Jan Sangh, All India Muslim
Forum, Ambedkar Samaj Party,
Anna Telugu Desam Party, Bahujan
Kranti Dal, Bahujan Samaj Party
(Ambedkar). Gandhivadi Rashtriya
Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal
(Mann), Tamil Desiyak Kutch, MGR
Anna DMK, Kannada Chalavali Vatal
Paksha, etc.
During last three decades some
of the States, regional parties have
become quite important. In fact in
several States in India, the largest
non-Congress political parties are
specific to a single State and have little
or no strength outside their home
state. The most important such
parties are the AIADMK and the DMK
in Tamil Nadu, the Telugu Desam in
Andhra Pradesh, the Akali Dal in
Punjab, the National Conference in
Jammu and Kashmir, and the Asom
Gana Parishad in Assam. In fact, in
all these States, the non-Congress
state parties have won majorities at
one time or the other in legislative
assembly elections held between 1977
and 1999 and formed governments
thereafter. These single state parties
are distinguished by their adoption of
a regional nationalist perspective, by
their political desire for greater
regional autonomy of States in the
Indian Union, for their focus on issues
specific to their States or for their base
within a religious minority.
One result of the growing influence
of regional parties has been that at
NATIONAL AND STATE PARTIES
times no single national party gets
majority in the Lok Sabha. In all the
general elections to Lok Sabha from
1989 to 1999 this has been the
situation. This has led not only to
formation of coalition governments
but also regional parties influencing
the process of governmental formation
and participating in it. This has both
positive and negative effects. In
positive terms regional parties provide
a check on centralisation of power,
strengthening of federalism, fulfillment
of regional and cultural aspirations of
various sections of population thereby
helping in national integration, a
share in power to marginalised and
deprived groups. In negative terms
they cause instability of government,
lack of unity and coherence for a
national government, encouragement
to regional and sectorial forces, added
role of caste and religion in politics.
Both these positive and negative
effects of regional parties are a natural
process in a democratic system. In a
country of vast diversities, regional
imbalances, concentration of
linguistic and ethnic groups in certain
regions, along with failure of planning
to create a national economy and
balanced development growth,
development of regional parties is
natural. In some countries with
federal systems, national parties
themselves allow their state or
regional wings autonomy enough to
represent regional aspirations. In
India centrally controlled national
77
parties do not provide such flexibility.
This provides another reason for
proliferation of regional parties. As a
whole regional parties are significant
participants in parliamentary and
federal democratic system of India.
Most of them have no separatist or
secessionist agenda. As already
mentioned not all regional parties are
cultural or regional based parties.
Some are definitely class and ideology
based. But in terms of support base
and role in politics it is the parties
representing specific regional or socio-
cultural interests that have emerged
important. The more successful
regional parties have been AIADMK
and DMK in Tamil Nadu, Shiromani
Akali Dal in Punjab, Telugu Desam
in Andhra Pradesh, National
Conference in Jammu and Kashmir,
Biju Janata Dal in Orissa, Kerala
Congress and Muslim League in
Kerala. All these parties have formed
governments in their respective States
several times either by themselves or
in coalition with others. Some of them
have stronger roots among masses,
compared to some national parties. It
is because of this that with the decline
of one party dominance, in several
States actual and potential opposition
and alternative to Congress has been
provided by regional parties. They
also now share power at the Central
government as partners of one or the
other alliance or front. This processes
seems to be the pattern at least for the
near future.
78 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

EXERCISES

1. Mention the names and symbols of any three National Parties in India.
2. Briefly state the policies and programmes of Indian National Congress.
3. Explain the policies and programmes of Bhartiya Janata Party.
4. Bring out the significance of Bahujan Samaj Party in Indian politics.
5. Write Short notes on the following:
(i) Role of State/Regional Parties;
(ii) Janata Dal;
(iii) CPI and CPI(M)

CHAPTER 6
Formation of Public Opinion
I N the last two chapters you have read
about two types of organised groups
that is political parties and interest
groups that are engaged in controlling
and influencing decision making power
of the government either by capturing
the governmental machinery or by
putting pressure from outside. But
ultimately in any system governmental
policies are made, at least in theory, for
the public as a whole. Particularly in a
democracy the very survival of any
government finally rests on the approval
or rejection by the people at elections.
Therefore, governments are always
keen to know the feelings of public as a
whole and try to respond to them in one
way or the other. In other words,
governments are less interested in
personal opinions of one or some, what
they are interested is in public opinion
about them. Therefore, in any
political system, more so in democracy,
public opinion plays a very significant
role in its process, decision making,
accountability and working.
PUBLIC OPINION : DEFINITION
The term public opinion, as is clear, is
a compound of two words public and
79
opinion. A public is a collectivity of
people with a common interest.
Collectivity denotes a complete absence
of organisation. The only link among
those in a collectivity is their common
interest. They are not a group. The
common interests may be attributed to
the public by an outsider. For example,
a government may feel public is
interested in stability. It is not necessary
that they constitute entire people or
even a majority at a particular time. The
public thus is not a fixed body of
individuals. Of course it is a collectivity
of people. A public, in that sense can
also be an artificial creation. Opinion is
a verbally expressed attitude, that is an
expression which reflects individuals or
collectives attitudes towards a matter
of interest or importance. By
putting together, we can say public
opinion is the verbally expressed
attitude of a collectivity of people with
a common interest.
The term public opinion is
commonly used to denote the aggregate
of the views men hold regarding matters
that affect or interest the community.
Thus understood, it is a congeries of
all sorts of discrepant notions, beliefs,
fancies, prejudices, aspirations. It is
80 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
confused, incoherent, amorphous,
varying from day to day and week to
week. But in the midst of this
diversity and confusion, every question
as it rises into importance is
subjected to a process of consolidation
and clarification until it takes a
definite shape.
FORMATION OF PUBLIC OPINION
As already mentioned, public opinion is
not something made for all times to
come. It is formulated on matters of
concern or importance. However, there
is no automatic process or an organised
way of its formation. In a society
whenever an issue emerges conscious
and articulated sections of the society
start expressing their views and
reactions on the subject. In the process,
there may emerge various views. Some
of these get discarded, some modified
and some receive larger attention. Finally,
one view or other emerges, which is
generally considered as public opinion.
Individuals opinion is also
formulated on the basis of information
or discussion one gets in ones
immediate environment like family,
neighbourhood, school, college, peer
groups, interest groups, clubs and
associations. This is what is known in
Political Science the process of
socialisation. An individuals upbringing
and interactions in various institutes
helps articulating her/his short term
and long term attitudes and orientations.
These may take the shape of
opinions or beliefs depending on the
intensity and matter.
Political parties also play an
important role in the formation of public
opinion. Parties organise meetings,
protests, strikes etc. on various issues.
They mobilise support in favour of or
against a policy, thereby throwing up
debates on the issues. Speeches of party
leaders inside and outside Parliament
and State Legislatures also influence
public opinion. They bring out leaflets
and pamphlets to inform the public.
Since, political parties are interested in
capturing political power, they focus
attention on all the major problems faced
by citizens, the society and the State. In
particular opposition parties remain
very active in creating public opinion
against the government. For the party
in power, it is easy to use governmental
machinery to create public opinion in
its favour. But compulsions of taking
unpopular decisions and difficulties in
fulfilling the promises made during
elections, the government mostly has to
face adverse public opinion.
In addition to and along with
political parties most active in creating
public opinion are interest groups. As
the very concern of interest group is to
influence policy making, they try to
mould public opinion to protect their
own interests as societal or national
interests, thereby giving government to
formulate policies in the name of public
interest. Interest groups, therefore use
media, organise seminars and meetings
to make articulated sections speak the
language they want.
In the present day situation,
opinions in many cases are also formed
on the basis of information from the
FORMATION OF PUBLIC OPINION
mass media. Today, the individual is
flooded with information from internet,
radio, televisions, newspapers and
magazines. This information shapes
and reshapes public opinion.
Here, it may be made clear that both
the articulation of views by experts or
concerned intelligent sections of
population or crystallised by the
information and analysis provided by
the media are not necessarily interest
or value free. In fact critics point out
selectivity in choice of information, data
or analysis according to biases,
prejudices, beliefs, values and
ideologies. That is why it is said that
public opinion is subject to possibilities
of manipulation also. Many times,
under the influence of media or experts,
pubic favours or disfavours a policy
without realising that it may be against
public interest in general. Nevertheless,
since public opinion is not permanent,
there are possibilities of changes in that,
particularly in democratic countries,
because of availability of information
from different sources and freedom of
expression of views by all. It is in view
of this that governments remain
concerned about public opinion.
GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC OPINION
In general, governments function on
the basis of mandate received in
election. This means that a government
is only justified in introducing policies
for which it has an electoral mandate.
As you have read in chapters on
elections and parties, while parties do
publish election manifestoes, election
campaigns tend to be fought on general
81
issues rather than on detailed policy
items. In the fast developing and
changing times the government has to
deal with unexpected events and crisis
that develop between elections. Also
party in power does not remain
concerned only with the past election it
is very much concerned with the future
election also and for that it has to build
its image. In view of all these it is very
difficult for a government to ignore the
public opinion. In fact some observers
suggest that public opinion is one of
the three essential elements for
the successful working of demo-
cratic system, the other two being
universal adult franchise and
representative institutions. Universal
adult franchise lays the foundation of
democratic participation, representative
institutions provide for democratic
recruitment and public opinion
ensures democratic communication.
Since, public opinion is considered
as an expression of the citizens in
general, it is very difficult for the
government to reject it outright. At the
same time, it is also a fact that most of
the times public opinion is a reflection
of populism and emotional outbursts
rather than rational thinking or
analysis. Therefore, it remains very
difficult to succumb to public opinion
all the times. For example, except in
cases of extreme emergencies like war,
how will public opinion favour taxation;
but governments have to impose taxes.
Similarly, in view of long term national
interests and to fulfil international
commitments and for efficiency in
82 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
governance, governments often have to
take unpopular decisions.
Importance of public opinion even
in these types of situation is that
government under pressure tries to
remain responsible and does its best to
convince the public about the necessity
of such policies or decisions. In the age
of globalisation, it is not only domestic
public opinion that governments are
worried about, but also of international
public opinion. International public
opinion articulated through Non-
Governmental Organisations and
trans-national movements like for
promotion and protection of human
rights, environment, against nuclear
proliferation, discrimination based on
race or descent, prevention of child
labour, promotion of gender justice,
etc. make governments answerable in
international community and put their
credibility on stake. Therefore,
governments remain conscious of such
international public opinion also. We
have in India examples of government
explaining its conduct on issues of
human rights violations, communal
violence and caste oppression to
international NGOs like Amnesty
International, Human Rights Watch
and others.
Some times the governments use
their powers to manipulate public
opinion. In India, when government had
monopolistic control over radio and
television, it was often used to create a
favourable public opinion. However, in
the present age of revolution in
communication, arrival of cable TV
networks, internet and rising awareness
among citizens in general for their
rights including right to information,
governments ability to mould public
opinion has become quite restricted.
Also having been become partner in the
process of globalisation, governments
are also under pressure to give free
access to foreign media which is not
easily manipulatable. As such
governments are under severe
pressures of public opinion both
internal and external and have to take
note of the same in formulating their
policies and making decisions.
AGENCIES OF PUBLIC OPINION
We have read that for governments it is
very important to take note of public
opinion. In fact parties in opposition are
also concerned about it. Both the party
in power and in opposition therefore are
keen to mould public opinion in their
favour. At the same time they also try
to know in some authentic way what
public thinks on a particular issue or
what are its expectations. While it may
be said that public opinion can be
known by sensing the public mood or
from the conversations at various levels,
these not necessarily reflect the
crystallised views at large. For it the
government and parties have to rely on
various agencies. Important among
these are the following:
Press and Electronic Media
Most easy and acceptable means to have
a feel of public opinion is press and
media. We have already said that press
and media play an important role in the
FORMATION OF PUBLIC OPINION
formation of public opinion. Media
reports social and political activities
including their strengths and
weaknesses. Views of leaders,
concerned citizens and activists are
published in news items and articles.
Editorials are written on issues, events
of concern and also on governmental
policies. People write letters to editors
expressing their views and opinions on
issues and policies. Electronic media
shows in motion, movements, activities,
debates and interviews bringing to light
prevailing opinion and views. Media has
also been criticised for selective
reporting or choosing data and events
that confirms to their own biases,
prejudices, beliefs, values and interests
to influence the government in the
name of public opinion. For example, a
TV channel may interview more people
speaking in favour of a view which may
be its own favourite than of those who
are opposed to it. It is also said that in
countries like India media is largely
controlled by big business houses and
industrialists. At present with increasing
competition with in the media, there are
more possibilities of various views getting
exposure and space, thereby creating
awareness amongst the people both
urban and rural.
Party Platform
Another method used by political
parties is to get feed backs from their
cadres and workers. Every political
party has a number of party workers
spread over in various strata of society.
They provide feedback from voters to
83
their leaders during party meetings.
This may be termed as linkage between
parties and voters. While this method
is supposed to be very important and
useful in India it has become
retrogative. Most political parties have
become centrally controlled and
personality oriented. In this situation,
workers instead of passing true public
opinion to leadership may give them
false picture of their popularity,
charisma and support.
Opinion Polls
Opinion polls provide a significant and
popular method to gather public
opinion. These were earlier used by
business houses to assess consumer
choices about their products. These are
now being used to gather information
about public attitude and opinion on
variety of political matters including
their opinion on issues of local or
national importance, their preference
for political parties and leaders in
elections to be held, their views on
governmental policies or specific
events. These opinion polls are
generally conducted by professional
agencies selecting representative
samples of population. Researchers
and academics also conduct such
surveys to study electoral behaviour,
political attitudes and political culture.
Opinion polls help political parties
formulate their electoral strategies,
adjust their programmes and make
necessary alliances during elections.
These may provide government with
feedback of peoples level of satisfaction
84 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
or dissatisfaction from its policies as also
convey their expectations and aspirations.
While in general, opinion polls have
been a useful instrument to find public
opinion, they have always not been
correct. In countries like India there are
various problems in conducting
objective and correct surveys. These
include large size of population,
illiteracy, lack of awareness and
apprehensions among people about the
purpose of surveys and therefore, the
tendency not to give correct information.
Also some critics point out that opinion
polls are being used more to create
public opinion then to gather and
report it. Political parties in particular
quite often criticise opinion polls of
deliberately favouring one or other
political party. In spite of all criticisms
the opinion polls and surveys are
becoming very popular and are being
used by all, including governments,
political parties, media and researchers
as a useful method to understand and
analyse public opinion.
LIMITATIONS OF PUBLIC OPINION
Even though public opinion is a very
effective means of communication
between government and citizens, it is
also a tool for continuous check on
government, yet it has a limited use.
The use and role of public opinion rests
on certain assumptions. These can be
described as:
(i) the public is interested in the
affairs of the government;
(ii) the public is informed, rather well
informed;
(iii) the public deliberates and reaches
rational conclusions;
(iv) the rationally formulated opinions
tend to be held uniformally
throughout the society;
(v) the public, having reached a
conclusion, would make its will
known at the polls and elsewhere;
(vi) the public will or at least general
will be enacted into law;
(vii) the continued surveillance and
constant criticism would ensure
the maintenance of an enlightened
public opinion, and consequently,
a public policy based upon the
principles of social morality
and justice.
In a country like India where
majority of the population is living in
rural area, with widespread illiteracy
and poverty, society remaining
fragmented on caste and community
basis and under the influence of
traditional elite, the above men-
tioned factors become a difficult
proposition. Public opinion some-
times becomes more a means to
legitimise interests of ruling class
than a reflection of genuine public
aspirations. With the spread of
education, opening of media, linkages
being established between rural and
urban areas and political awareness
reaching marginalised sections of the
society, public opinion is likely to
play more significant role in Indian
democratic process.
FORMATION OF PUBLIC OPINION 85

EXERCISES

1. Define Public Opinion. What is its significance in a democracy?

2. Explain the various agencies of Public Opinion.
3. How does electronic media influences the formation of Public Opinion?
4. Examine the significance of Opinion Polls.
5. Write short notes on the following:
(i) Government and Public Opinion;
(ii) Limitations of Public Opinion.
86 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
CHAPTER 7
I N the last chapter you have read that
in modern day political process is the
political parties which are engaged in
the contest for political decision-making
power. They seek this power to
formulate and implement the policies
in accordance with their ideologies or
programmes, primarily to protect the
interests of groups they represent. Even
when they are not in power, political
parties keep on making efforts to
influence the policy making in
accordance with their preference.
Nevertheless, ultimate aim of political
parties remains to acquire power. In
addition to political parties there are
other groups or associations those try
to influence the decision making or
policy formulation by the government
in accordance with their specific
interests. These groups themselves do
not enter into elections for acquiring
power but are engaged only in putting
pressure on the government in
particular, and political process in
general, remaining outside the
government. Such groups are called
pressure or interest groups.
Interest Groups
and Pressure Groups
MEANING AND DEFINITION
Interest groups can be defined as
voluntary organisations formed to
defend a particular interest in a society
or to promote a cause, or political
position, without participating in actual
contest for power. In general, use of
interest groups is made with regard to
groups which are organised to promote,
advance or defend some common
interest of an occupational group like
lawyers, traders, teachers, farmers,
doctors, etc. There has also emerged
such terms as lobbies and lobbyists.
This in fact refers to the practice,
especially in the USA, to influence and
pressurise the policy makers. This
practice called lobbying, again is a
method used by interest groups. Thus,
in general, organisations of specific
interests to influence policy making are
primarily interest groups. Because of
tactics used by them they are also
called pressure groups. However, in
terms of their purpose, nature, tactics
and role both the pressure groups and
interests groups are often used
interchangeably.
INTEREST GROUPS AND PRESSURE GROUPS
From the above definition of interest
groups and pressure groups certain
characteristics of such groups become
clear. The first thing to note down is that
these groups are organised groups,
thus, they can be distinguished from
acts of participation by individuals.
And accordingly, each group works for
collective interests of its members.
Secondly, pressure groups, while
organised on the basis of common
interests are primarily concerned with
influencing the decision making by
putting pressure from outside. Thus,
where political parties aspire to become
the government, groups seek just to
influence it. They do not aspire to form
governments, but to change its
direction and policy in a particular
manner. The interest and pressure
groups, do not fight elections. They may
however, help some parties protecting
their interests. These groups differ from
political parties in that they seek to exert
influence from outside, rather than to
win or exercise government power.
Further, these pressure groups have a
limited issue focus, in that they are
usually concerned with a specific cause
or the interests of a particular group.
In general, while political parties are the
formal, open and recognised part of the
political system, the interest and
pressure groups are informal, closed
unrecognised part. Interest groups are
also distinguished from social
movements by their greater degree of
formal organisation. Today, in almost
all countries, particularly in liberal
democracies, a large number of interest
groups reflect a wide range of issues
87
and concerns. In India, we have a
number of interest and pressure groups
of various kinds which are playing an
important role in our democracy.
INTEREST GROUPS
Interest and pressure groups in India
are not a new political phenomena. They
have been in existence from colonial
period. In fact the Indian National
Congress in its origin itself was a
pressure group making a number of
specific demands on the British
administration such as increase in
number of Indians recruited to the
administrative services, more quota for
Indian students in England, etc. In due
course there also emerged trade
unions, farmers associations, business
associations, youth organisations and
groups of castes and religions
demanding protection of their specific
interests. They were also used to
mobilise support for the national
movement. Today, they are a growing
force in Indian politics. Of course, the
issues with which groups are concerned
and many of the tactics that they use
in pursuit of their aims, have been
changing, but the broad principles of
pressure group politics are the same.
Since independence, when government
activity has spread into the spheres of
social welfare, industry, and economic
planning, the State has been inevitably
drawn into closer direct contact with
more people, and more groups of
people, thus, giving a greater impetus
to the activities of organised groups.
Political system also provides
88 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
considerable freedom to different
segments of society to make demands
on the systems. There are also cases
when a pressure group that emerges
tends to produce a counter pressure
group thereby increasing their number.
The communication revolution leading
to the growth of mass media and
efficiency and respectability of public
relations also means that pressure
groups have greater facilities for
influencing public opinion. So more
and more interests tend to form
organised groups. Thus, the variety of
groups in India today is immense.
These groups can be placed into four
broad categories i.e. Social or Identity
Based Groups, Associational or
Professional Groups, Institutional
Groups, and Ad hoc Groups.
SOCIAL OR IDENTITY BASED GROUPS
During colonial period to counter the
onslaught of English education and
Western value system, to demand proper
share in the new professional and
government jobs, and to protect social
and cultural interests in the emerging
politics of numbers in the young
democratic institutions, there came up
a number of groups based on
community interests (religion, caste,
language, ethnicity, region, etc.). In some
cases British administration itself
encouraged formation of such groups
to counter some of the demands
of national movement. After
independence, in the context of
democratic process and competition for
scarce resources, such groups have
increased significantly. The chief
characteristic of social or identity groups
is that they are embedded in the social
fabric. In a sense their membership is
based on birth rather than professional
or class basis. These groups can further
be divided into two. One which are
primarily concerned with community
service and the other which use
communal or social mobilisational in
political and economic competition. In
the first type we can mention DAV
Educational Institutions, Rama Krishna
Mission, Chief Khalsa Dewan, Singh
Sabhas, Muslim Educational Trusts like
Vakkam Maulavi Foundation, Al-Ameen
Education T rust, Anglo-Indian
Christian Association, Jain Seva Sangh
and many more of these type which are
engaged in the educational, social and
economic upliftment of their
communities. For that purpose they
seek financial, technical and other types
of help from government and put
pressure for that without prejudice to
other communities or encouraging
communal or social conflicts. In recent
years a large number of caste and sub-
caste associations have also come up.
Though most of such associations are
loosely organised, they are becoming
very important basis of interest
articulation. Some of the groups
originally formed as ethnic or caste
associations have also got transformed
into political parties. Anti-Brahamin
movement in Tamil Nadu in due course
of time became Dravida Kazhagam(DK)
and later Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
(DMK). The Scheduled Caste Federation
later expanded into the Republican
INTEREST GROUPS AND PRESSURE GROUPS
Party of India. You have already read
that the origin of present day Bahujan
Samaj Party (BSP) was from All India
Backward and Minorities Communities
Employees Federation.
Other type of identity groups are
those which are engaged in assertion
of special status, superiority or
preference for their communities vis--vis
other communities. Jamat-I-Islami
among the Muslims, Rashtriya
Sawayamasevak Sangh (RSS) and
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) among
Hindus, All India Sikh Students
Federation among Sikhs, etc. are such
groups. These groups are engaged not
only in the welfare of their communities
but also in transfer of political
process according to their value
systems. There are also various
Language Associations promoting the
development of languages.
ASSOCIATIONAL OR PROFESSIONAL
GROUPS
Associational or Professional groups
are the ones that are formed by
people who come together to
pursue shared professional interests.
They are sometimes also called
protective or functional groups. Trade
unions, business associations, trade
associations, professional bodies, etc.,
are prime examples of this type of
groups. Their unique character is
derived from the fact that they represent
a section of society like workers,
employers, consumers, etc. It can also
be said that these groups are based on
modern economic and vocational
89
interests. The largest and more
important of these are trade and
business groups, trade unions and
farmers and peasant organisations.
BUSINESS GROUPS
Business and industry in any society
is the most articulated and active
section in terms of protection of interests
and influencing policy. In India they
started organising themselves during
colonial period itself. At that time while
they were in favour of keeping
themselves aloof from confrontation
politics of the Congress led national
movement, nevertheless, they in many
ways supported the constructive
activity of the Congress and cause of
freedom. In independent India,
business and industry had to work in
the context of development policies and
planning. They had both opportunities
to grow and apprehensions of
restrictions because of licence and
control regimes envisaged in the then
adopted mixed economy strategy.
Therefore, they felt a strong need to
organise to put pressure on the
government in their favour. As a result
various types of business and
commercial associations, emerged at
regional and national level. Important
among them are Chambers of
Commerce and Industries and their
federations like Confederation of Indian
Industries (CII) and Federation of
Indian Chambers of Commerce and
Industry (FICCI). The FICCI today is the
main spokesman of Indian capitalism
and big industry in particular.
90 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
Through these bodies, the big
business have sustained access to the
executive and bureaucracy for lobbying
while the policy is being made
and implemented. Ownership and
operational control of the means of
production give them tremendous lever
to influence the governmental policies.
With their strong organisation and
enormous money power they have
gained an important share in preparing
and implementing decisions on matters
of financial and industrial policies. As a
result, despite the official ideology of the
state for a socialist pattern of society, the
big business groups through its
insistent pressure has been able to
make itself a legitimate and powerful
sector. With liberalisation, privatisation
and globalisation, role of business has
increased further. They can now better
handle unfavourable policies by
cultivating personal contacts, paying
bribes, using press and electronic media
and employing professional lobbyists.
TRADE UNIONS
The labour, almost all over the world
has emerged as an important organised
class. A significant role in this regard
has been played by the emergence of
Marxist and socialist ideologies and
parties. While in some countries
development of workers organisation
has taken long time in India, the trade
union movement has developed with an
astonishing speed. During Colonial
period both the Communist Party and
the Congress helped organisation of
workers in a significant way as natural
opponents of colonial oppression. Not
only trade unions were established in
factories and regions, but efforts were
made to organise them at national level
also. In 1920 All India Trade Union
Congress (AITUC) was established
under Congress influence. In 1929 this
fell in the hands of the Communists.
After independence, policy of rapid
industrialisation, establishment and
growth of a very large public sector,
employing millions of persons, socialist
rhetoric of the government and decision
by Communist parties to participate in
election, all provided conditions
conducive for the growth of Trade
Union movement. Various political
parties also started sponsoring their
own trade union federations or centres,
like Indian National Trade Union
Congress (INTUC), All India Trade
Union Congress (AITUC), Hind Mazdoor
Sabha (HMS), Centre of Indian Trade
Unions (CITU), etc.
The trade union movement in India
over the last five decade or so has
definitely come to occupy its own place
in Indian social process. Consequently,
the working class has been able to exert
significant pressure at the policy
formulation level and their strength is
well recognised by the political parties
and the government. Although poorly
financed and under outside leadership,
they can be extremely vocal in their
demands and militant in their methods.
Also because of the concentration of
industries in certain regions, they can
provide significant vote-strengths for
the parties. The organised working
class, therefore, has been able to obtain
INTEREST GROUPS AND PRESSURE GROUPS
quite a few successes in bettering their
economic and social conditions. The
trade unions by their activities have
also helped in creating social and
political awareness among workers.
Trade unions are still among the best
organised groups in the society. However,
the process of globalisation is posing a
serious challenge for the working class.
Trade unions therefore, have to
rejuvenate themselves in their new role
in emerging new economic system.
FARMERS AND PEASANT GROUPS
It is well known that majority of Indias
population lives in villages and Indian
economy remains basically an
agricultural economy. At the time of
independence, it was essential to
improve the agricultural production on
the one hand and introduce land
reforms on the other. Various policies
and programmes starting with the
abolition of Zamindari system, limited
land reforms, green revolution,
mobilisation of different sections of
rural population in electoral polities
have aroused awareness and
consciousness among rural people as
also created new groups with different
interests. These in turn have resulted
in the emergence of organised groups
and movements for protection and
consolidation of interests. Many
observers call these groups under a
common terminology of Kisan Groups
or Agricultural movements. In fact,
there are no common kisan interests.
These are different for different
categories. In a broader sense, we
91
can divide Kisan Groups into two
the farmers associations and
peasant groups.
FARMERS ASSOCIATIONS
Farmers agitations have been in the news
for the past several years. Since the late
1970s, farmers have been organising
themselves in associations and gaining
prominence by focusing attention on
higher prices for agricultural products,
lowering electricity rates, easier terms of
credit for agricultural investment,
subsidies for fertilisers, etc. Important
among these are the Bhartiya Kisan
Union in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and
Punjab, the Shetkari Sangathan in
Maharashtra, and the Karnataka Rajya
Ryota Sangh. At the centre of these is
the discontentment of rich and middle
level farmers.
The roots of these farmers
movements can be traced to the
expansion of the Green Revolution in
agricultural strategies and the
assertion of political power by rich
peasants through mass mobilisation of
the peasantry under their leadership.
These movements, in general, reflect
new levels of politicisation among the
middle level farmers, clamouring for
greater concessions and share in
political parties. For quite some time,
these movements projected a non-
political image of theirs by staying away
from political parties and constitute a
pressure group from outside. However,
of late they have realised that direct
exercise of power may be more effective
than indirect influence. So they have also
92 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
started participating in or allying with
parties. The success of these movements
have prompted political parties to give
greater attention to agricultural issues in
their political programme.
PEASANTS MOVEMENT
A large part of Indias population
engaged in agriculture consists of small
farmers, share croppers and labourers.
After independence, it was assumed
that because of their number, in
democracy the rural poor will have
political salience and will increasingly
be able to place demands on the
political and economic systems of the
Republic. However, this did not happen.
The nature of the State, colonial
bureaucracy and lack of confidence by
political parties in fact distorted the
aims and objectives of the
developmental strategies in favour of
rich, upper classes and urban areas.
Various political parties and
association have been mobilising these
peasants by educating them of their
exploitation and assuring their
amelioration. Thus, there started
emerging organisation of agricultural
labourers and small farmers. They have
come up as Kisan Sabhas and various
agricultural unions. The basic purpose
of these is to strive to improve the
economic condition of all those who earn
their livelihood by toiling in agricultural
fields and related work. The peasant
movement, however, is not very well
organised. It remains fragmented.
Nevertheless, consciousness and
awareness among the rural poor and
peasants is increasing. They have
started realising the power of their vote
and united action. But the battle for
these groups is hard and long.
Particularly in view of recent economic
reforms, arrival of multinational
companies and the process of
globalisation, the peasants and rural,
people have hard tasks ahead. Much
will depend how political parties steer
Indian democracy.
CAUSE GROUPS
The main purpose of these groups is to
advance a general social objective like
preservation of environment, protection
of human rights and civil liberties,
abolition of capital punishment,
introduction of electoral reforms,
prevention of violence against women,
etc. These groups are also known as
public interest groups to emphasise
that they promote collective social
interest, rather than selective group
interest. These groups may or may not
be well organised. Their success
depends more on public and media
support than by lobbying. You must
have heard about groups opposing
construction of big dams, removal of
jhuggis, opposing child labour, bonded
labour, anti-dowry etc. Such groups
are becoming quite popular.
INSTITUTIONAL GROUPS
Institutional groups are those groups
which are within the government and
attempt to exert influence or pressure
through the machinery of government
itself. Bureaucracies and the military
INTEREST GROUPS AND PRESSURE GROUPS
are the clearest examples of institutional
groups. Within groups we hear of IAS,
IPS, IFS lobbies, etc. Similarly within
military often there are reports of
pressure from Army, Air force and Navy,
etc. for some preferences on certain
matters. Such groups are particularly
important in non-democratic regimes
where autonomous groups are
generally suppressed. But they remain
active in democratic regimes also as a
part of competition between elites. In
India also they are quite active though
their activities are not much public.
They try to influence the policies with
regard to allocation of resources in the
areas of their preferences, for
importance to be given to their role, etc.
They indirectly also help other groups
by supporting their cause.
AD HOC GROUPS
Finally, there are groups which come
into existence to pressurise the
government for a specific objective at a
time. Therefore, they remain active or
even organised only till that objective is
achieved. Examples of these include
groups organised to get a railway
service in a city, getting a book or an
activity banned, opening of a school,
college or hospital, etc. Such groups
can be very active for a short period.
Some of these may survive and extend
their activities as cause groups.
HOW GROUPS ACT
The methods by which pressure groups
seek to influence the process of
government are many. A group
generally, does not confine to a single
strategy or try to influence through just
93
one channel of influence. At the same
time, methods vary from country to
country according to the nature of
political system and type of society.
Similarly, the nature of the group and
the resources at its disposal are crucial
determinants of its political strategy.
The resources include public support
for the groups goals, the size of its
membership, its financial strength and
organisational capacities, personal or
institutional links with governmental
bodies and personnel and political
parties, etc.
The various groups in India operate
within the federal and parliamentary
nature of the polity. The interest groups
also approach the authorities
informally at the legislative as well as
party level. The methods they use for
the purpose include sending of
memoranda, personal deputations,
organising social gathering with those
in position of authority, lobbying with
the MPs and MLAs. Interest group
pressure is sometimes exerted through
political parties. Relationship between
political parties and trade unions is a
typical example of this. Similarly, some
youth groups are also openly
associated with parties like National
Students Union of India (NSUI) with
Congress and Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi
Parishad (ABVP) with Bhartiya
Janata Party.
In order to gain governmental
attention and redress, some groups
often resort to mass demonstrations,
hartals, strikes and civil disobedience.
This is particularly true of the interest
groups of the students, teachers,
94 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
government servants and various trade
unions. Of late even small and medium
peasants have organised themselves
into kisan rallies, rasta roko and other
types of stirs. This gets public attention
and does make the government respond
to such actions.
A very important mechanism for
pressure groups is the use of media
both press and electronic. In the present
day world, media has become a very
significant means for creating and
articulating public opinion. People get
much influenced by the news and views
expressed in newspapers or television.
Many a times, people start feeling as if
the issue is of their own interest, though
it may be against. The best example of
this is the influence advertisements are
having on our consumption pattern and
felt needs. If advertisements can
influence people so much the opinions
of experts considered to be objective
and neutral are likely to change
peoples thinking much more. Pressure
groups therefore, try to influence the
experts, news makers and producers
to give more coverage to their activities
and more importantly to present their
case as if it is in public interest in
general. Moneyed people have started
their own newspapers; they are putting
enormous money in private radio and
TV channels. All these are playing an
important role in influencing
decision making.
The influence that an interest or
pressure group can exercise depends
on several factors. An important factor
is groups own organisational strength
and discipline. Among other factors are
groups capacity to elicit peoples
support, its access to decision making
bodies, availability of resources, etc.
ROLE OF PRESSURE GROUPS
From the above discussion it emerges
that there are various organised
groups that make use of pressure for
getting their claims accepted by the
decision makers. Though they have
been slow to develop, these groups in
India are a form of linkage and means
of communication between the masses
and the elite. They provide scope for
expanding participation. While the
interest groups make demands upon
society for the benefit of its members,
they also increase the political
consciousness and participation of
their membership. Interest groups can
also be reservoirs of political
leadership. Most importantly interest
groups are a vehicle for social
integration. Bringing individuals for
the expression of common interests,
they may bridge the gap not only
between the mass and the elite but
between the various traditional
divisions within the society as a whole.
As a whole pressure groups occupy
a significant position in the Indian
political system. They play an
important role in the functional
performance of various political
structures. With economic liberalisation
and globalisation, the role of pressure
groups has further increased. Recent
experience shows how the big business
and big farmers are exerting their
influence both on government and
INTEREST GROUPS AND PRESSURE GROUPS 95

political parties. However, all the groups remain an instrument in

pressure groups are not able to exercise the socially and economically
their influence. Such weak pressure powerful hands.

EXERCISES

1. What do you understand by a Pressure Group? Describe the main characteristics

of Pressure Groups.
2. Explain the meaning of social or identity based groups giving examples of some
such groups in India.
3. Describe the development and role of Trade unions in India.
4. What do you understand by Farmers and Peasants Groups? Describe their role
in India.
5. How do Pressure Groups work to achieve their goals?
6. Write short notes on the following:
(i) Distinction between Political Parties and Pressure Groups;
(ii) Emergence of Pressure Groups in India;
(iii) Business Groups;
(iv) Institutional Groups;
(v) Role of Pressure Groups.
 UNIT III
DEVELOPMENT AND DEMOCRACY
CHAPTER 8
Socio-Economic Development
and Planning in India
Y OU are well aware, that during
about 200 years of British colonial
rule, India suffered much set back in
economic, social and industrial
development. The traditional Indian
agriculture based economy including
cottage industry and handicraft was
destroyed in favour of British machine
made goods. Whatever little industry
was allowed to come up was primarily
to serve the British interests. This too
was largely dominated by British
capital or by a small section of Indian
monopolies. In fact whatever economic
development was taking place in the
spheres of trade, industry and banking
it was concentrated in a few hands,
which led to the establishment of
monoplies and trusts. In agriculture,
British introduced Zamindari system
and commercialisation. Thus, the land
also came to be concentrated in a few
hands reducing a large number of
cultivators as share croppers or
landless labourers. The new land
revenue system, excessive land
revenue, low productivity, etc. forced
the farmers to take recourse to
borrowing of money from money
lenders. Whatever land the cultivators
and small farmers had also in many cases
passed into the hands of money lenders.
Though in the initial years, under
pressure from social reformers, British
administration introduced certain
social reforms but it was not part of their
agenda. In fact soon they stopped
interfering in Indian social affairs and
not only allowed some of the aberrations
to continue but in some cases
encouraged their accentuation. British
interest in development of education in
India was limited to producing a class
of English language knowing clerks
(Babus) for their administration. Thus,
education in India at all levels was
totally neglected. The poorer sections,
marginalised groups and women
had negligible access to education.
As a policy of divide and rule, they
encouraged fragmentation of Indian
society on religious, caste and
tribal basis. Thus, at the time of
independence, India inherited a social
structure that had remained almost
stagnant, an economy which had been
shattered. This was at a time of
tremendous scientific and technological
100 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
advancement across the world. People
of India, therefore were looking for
rapid socio-economic development and
transformation. In this chapter, we will
discuss what this development meant,
what were the goals and expectations
from it and what strategy and
mechanism was adopted to achieve this.
But it is important for us to have a
glimpse of the state of Indian economy
and society at the time of independence.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE OF INDIA
ON THE EVE OF INDEPENDENCE
At the time of independence, India had
a population of about 30.5 crore,
of which more than 82 per cent lived
in villages. Understandably, the Indian
economy was agriculture based
economy. More than 72 per cent
of Indias work force was dependent
on agriculture. Mining, factory
establishments and various types of
cottage, village and small enterprises
engaged about 11 per cent of work
force. The organised industry employed
only about 2 per cent, a figure lower
than the number of administrative
workers. This type of economic
structure obviously meant very low
productivity and high incidence of
poverty. The national income of India
in 1950-51 was estimated to be Rs
8,853 crore which meant annual
average per capita income of Rs 265.
Comparable per capita income in
Britain, United States, Japan, France
and Australia were Rs 3,598, Rs 8, 840,
Rs 870, Rs 3, 280 and Rs 4,340
respectively. It clearly shows that in
terms of per capita income, India was
among the poorest countries of the
world. Not only this, the distribution of
income tended to be too unequal
meaning thereby a large section of
population was very poor.
India in various respects was
economically dependent on the
advanced countries. Its exports
consisted chiefly of primary products
and went mainly to markets in the
advanced countries, especially Britain,
whereas the imports consisted chiefly of
goods that were obtained from the
advanced countries. It also showed a
marked deficit in the balance of trade.
Furthermore, there remained a
substantial degree of foreign ownership
or control of domestic resources. Finally,
the country was characterised by a
pronounced economic dualism. A
modern, foreign oriented, largely
capitalist sector could be found in a few
major urban centres and around
important sources of raw material, while
the rest of the country remained
dominated by a more traditional, wholly
indigenous, largely pre-capitalist sector.
Within the ambit of an overall
backwardness, Indian economy was
characterised by widespread regional
imbalances. As the colonial rulers did
not bother about the balanced
economic development, inter-state and
inter-district disparities were quite
sharp. There were differences in the
levels of per capita income and
consumption, literacy, medical
and health facilities, population
growth, infrastructure development,
employment opportunities and so on.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING IN INDIA
Independent India thus, inherited
a backward economy in which
prevailed extreme poverty and
deprivation, characterised by stagnant
agriculture, an uneven and weak
industrial sector, low capital resources
and regional imbalances.
SOCIAL STRUCTURE
The major social heritage of India was
its ethnic and cultural diversity and
hierarchical social order. No doubt the
British undertook some social reform
measures periodically, but on the whole
their policy was not to interfere in Indias
social life. In fact they were interested in
keeping Indian society divided. Not only
this policy of division set the stage for
partition of India at the time of
independence, but it also meant that
independent India itself was to be
comprised of a great number of different
regions and have relatively little sense of
a national identity. It was particularly
so because within this plurality social
interactions of race, religion, caste,
community, language and region were
based on archaic considerations.
As for the languages, there were
about one thousand languages
including the dialects. Even Hindi, the
most widely used of Indias languages
was spoken by not more than about
thirty per cent of the Indians. A vast
majority of Indians followed one or the
other variety of Hindi; there was also a
substantial number of Muslims, who
accounted for more than ten per cent
of the population even after the
partition of the country. In terms of
101
number, only Indonesia and Pakistan
had more Muslim inhabitants than
India. The Muslims and other small
communities such as the Sikhs, the
Jains, the Parsees, the Buddhists, the
Christians, etc. constituted more than
one fifth of the total population of India.
Widespread illiteracy was yet
another factor which prevented the
people from coming out of their
traditional loyalties and developing a
modern and secular outlook. Along
with other factors, lack of education
hampered social mobility and
dissolution of prevailing prejudices and
cultural barriers. In such a situation,
development of national outlook and
ethos was extremely difficult.
As already mentioned society
was divided on caste basis. There
were nearly 4 crore people who
were considered untouchables and
were later described as Scheduled
Castes. About one crore belonged to
Scheduled Tribes category. In terms
of access to productive resources,
land, employment, social services, etc.
these groups were in a disadvantaged
position. In addition, they faced social
discrimination and suppression.
At the time of independence the
socio-economic condition of India
presented a very grim picture. British
colonial exploitation had not only
hampered and held back development
but had also crippled social and
economic situation in many ways. With
the arrival of independence people were
looking for change in all this. All this
meant that India had to achieve a rapid
rate of development.
102 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
GOALS OF DEVELOPMENT
From the above, it becomes clear that
at the time of independence people of
India in general, were looking towards
an era of change. The poverty and
backwardness of India was not because
of lack of resources or potential for
development, it was because of
deliberate colonial policies whose
primary aim was to use Indias resource
for their own development. At the
same, it was a period when techno-
logical revolution, developments in
communication and science had made
rapid progress possible. Added to all
this was the commitment of our
leadership. During National Freedom
Struggle, they not only providing a
strong critique of colonial policies but
also provided alternative policies for
economic growth and social
transformation. As such it was not only
political freedom that the people of
India were looking forward to, it was
also for the establishment of a new order
of society. Development as such, was
the expectation of the people, need of
the time and the commitment of our
leadership.
It needs to be clarified that many a
times by development it is understood
growth in per capita income or
production. Higher growth rates and
production, of course are important but
this growth at the same time has to be
seen in relation to fulfilment of wants
and needs of wider sections of people
in a dignified manner. Thus,
development has to be judged by the
improvement it makes in the quality of
life of people both material and
spiritual, creation of a harmonious
equality based society and self-reliant
proud nation. Quality of life depends on
many things health, hygiene,
nutrition, life-expectancy, education,
housing and general living conditions.
In general, development means a society
based on the ideas of self-reliance,
equality, equity and justice. To achieve,
such a society the goals of development
for India at independence were:
(i) Rapid rate of growth to increase
national income;
(ii) Reduction of income inequalities
among different sections, classes
and regions;
(iii) Removal of concentration of
wealth and resources in fewer
hands and use them for the wider
benefit of society;
(iv) Removal of poverty;
(v) Increase in employment;
(vi) Provision of basic minimum needs
for a dignified human living
including health, education and
housing;
(vii) Conservation of ecology and
protection of environment;
(viii) Making of national economy a self
reliant and independent of foreign
control and aid;
(ix) Remove the traditional constraints
on various oppressed sections of
society like Scheduled Castes,
Scheduled T ribes, Backward
classes and women etc.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING IN INDIA
From the above it becomes clear
that central concern for development
was to achieve growth with social
justice. The Preamble of the Indian
Constitution and part on Directive
Principles of State Policy had already
described these goals as the ideals of
new State. Later these were also defined
as terms like Socialist pattern of society.
In December 1954, the Lok Sabha
affirmed that the objective of our
economic policy should be a socialistic
pattern of society. In January 1955,
Jawahar Lal Nehru personally moved
a resolution at the Avadi session of
Congress which committed the party to
the principle that planning should take
place with a view to the establishment
of a socialistic pattern of society where
the principal means of production are
under social ownership or control. In
1976 by putting the word Socialist
in the Preamble of the Constitution,
socialism was made a constitutional
goal. Though, the term socialist was
never defined but in general
understanding it implied redistribution
of wealth. Thus, the common
understanding was that poverty and
inequality were to be fought by
increased production and the
redistribution of wealth. Issue,
however, was how to achieve these
goals. For that we adopted the strategy
of planning.
PLANNING FOR DEVELOPMENT
To attain the above mentioned goals of
development India adopted a mixed
103
economy model of development and
planning as a strategy. Mixed economy
in a way was a new method used by
Indian planners. Prevailing models
were capitalist and socialist models.
The capitalist model means private
ownership of means of production and
economic processes to be determined
by market forces. Socialist model
means public or state ownership of
means of production and economic
activities to be guided by State in
accordance with social needs. Both
these models have positive and negative
points of their own. Indian planners
wanted to take good points from both
the systems. Therefore, emerged the
model of mixed economy which means
prevalence of public, private and joint
sectors side by side with in one system.
MIXED ECONOMY
In the mixed economy system, State
owned means of production were to be
used to promote social welfare. Private
owned means of production were to
serve private interests but within the
norms laid down by the State. The
underlying purpose of mixed economy
was to attain rapid economic
development and ensure that no
exploitative and restrictive tendencies
emerge in the economy. This was clearly
mentioned in the cabinet resolution of
15 March, 1950 which established the
Planning Commission in India. The
principles were mentioned as: (i) that
the citizens men and women, equally
have the right to an adequate means of
104 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
livelihood; (ii) that the ownership and
control of the material resources of the
country are so distributed as best to
subserve the common good; and
(iii) that the operation of the economic
system does not result in the
concentration of wealth and means of
production to the common detriment.
As a whole it can be said that India
adopted a mixed economy model with
a major role for the State for protection
of the weaker sections of the
society, control of distribution of
essential commodities, promotion of
infrastructural facilities, prevention of
private monopolies, creation of
egalitarian and just society, reduction
of inequality of income and reduction
of imbalances between regions. The
methods and instruments to implement
this process of development in mixed
economy model were:
(i) Political democracy;
(ii) Planning and governmental
regulation and control of economy;
(iii) Significant place and role for
public sector;
(iv) Licensing, subsidies, progressive
taxing, assistance to private sector,
labour welfare, price control, land
reforms, etc.
In general, it was to be a planned
economic development to be
implemented through the institution of
Planning Commission. Let us have a
look what is meant by planning so that
we will be better able to understand the
nature, role, success and failures of
planning and Planning Commission.
PLANNING IN INDIA
Planning means formulation of a
strategy for the future. In other words,
it is programming for action for a
particular period for achieving certain
specific goals. In economic terms it
implies the assessment of ones
resources at present and their
allocation among different uses to meet
some specific targets in the future. In
very simple terms planning is a process
of devising a course of action what is
to be done, when to be done and how
to be done?
In India significance of planning was
recognised even before Independence.
Indian leaders were very much
influenced by the planning experiment
started in Soviet Union since 1928.
Various individuals and groups
brought to the fore the importance of
planning and made concrete proposals
for that. In 1938 Indian National
Congress established a National
Planning Committee under the
chairmanship of Jawaharlal Nehru.
Even the government established a
Planning and Development Board in
1944. As alternatives, various groups
formulated and presented plans for the
consideration of nation. These included
the Bombay Plan formulated by a
group of industrialists, Gandhian Plan
drafted by one of Mahtama Gandhis
disciples Shriman Narayana, Peoples
Plan produced by M.N. Roy, etc.
After independence, to achieve the
goals of development as discussed
above, planning was considered the
SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING IN INDIA
most effective way. For this was
established a Planning Commission on
15 March, 1950.
PLANNING COMMISSION
Planning Commission was established
as a multi member body with Prime
Minister as its chairman and a full time
Vice-Chairman. The Vice-Chairman is
given the status of a Cabinet Minister.
There is no fixed number of members.
In general, Planning Commission
consists of eight to ten members. These
members are given the status equal to
that of minister of State. In addition,
Planning Commission also has an
elaborate organisational structure
consisting of advisors, and support
staff. The order establishing the
Planning Commission has defined its
specific functions as follows:
(i) Assessment of Resources: The
Commission makes an assessment of
all material, capital and human
resources of the country including
technical personnel, and investigate the
possibilities of augmenting such of
those resources as are found to be
deficient in relation to the nations
requirements.
(ii) Plan Formulation: The Commi-
ssion is expected to formulate plans for
the most effective and balanced
utilisation of the countrys resources.
(iii) Defining Stages of Imple-
mentation: The Planning Commission
has to define, on determination of
priorities, the stages in which the plan
105
should be carried out and propose the
allocation of resources for due
completion of each stage.
(iv) Indication of Requisites:
Another function of the Commission
is to indicate the factors which
are tending to retard economic
development, and determine the
conditions which, in view of the current
social and political situation, should
be established for the successful
execution of the plan.
(v) Determination of Machinery for
Execution: The Commission has to
determine the nature of the machinery
which will be necessary for securing
successful implementation of each
stage of the plan in all its aspects.
(vi) Plan Appraisal: An important
function of the Commission is to
appraise, from time to time, the
progress achieved in the execution of
each of the Plan and recommend the
adjustment of the policy and measures
that such appraisal may show to be
necessary.
(vii) To Render Advice: Finally the
Planning Commission has been asked
to make such interim or ancillary
recommendations as appear to be
appropriate either for facilitating
the discharge of duties assigned
to it; or in consideration or the
prevailing economic conditions,
current policies, measures and
development programmes or on
examination of such specific problems
as may be referred to it by Central and
State governments.
106 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
THE FIVE -YEAR PLANS
In view of the prescribed goals of
development the Planning Commission
in India began with formulating Five-
Year Plans. The plans are formulated
on the basis of guidelines provided by
the National Development Council. A
draft of the final plan is considered by
the Union Cabinet and then submitted
for the approval of the National
Development Council. After the
approval of NDC and the cabinet it is
presented before Parliament. After the
plan is formulated, it is divided into
annual plans for convenient
implementation and allocation of
resources. The plan is implemented by
the State and Union governments.
Planning Commission itself is not
involved in implementation. It however,
monitors and evaluates the progress of
implementation. The First Five-Year
Plan formulated by the commission
commenced on 1 April, 1951. Since
then Ninth Five-Year Plans and six
annual plans have been formulated
and completed:
(i) First Five-Year Plan (1951-56) ;
(ii) Second Five -Year Plan (1956-61) ;
(iii) Third Five-Year Plan (1961-66) ;
(iv) Annual Plans (1966-69) ;
(v) Fourth Five-Year Plan (1969-74) ;
(vi) Fifth Five-Year Plan (1974-79) ;
(vii) Annual Plan (1979-80) ;
(viii) Sixth Five-Year Plan (1980-85) ;
(ix) Seventh Five-Year Plan (1985-90) ;
(x) Annual Plans (1990-92);
(xi) Eighth Five-Year Plan (1992-97);
(xii) Ninth Five-Year Plan (1997-2002);
From the above it emerges that
during the years 1966-69, 1979-80,
and 1990-92 there were no Five-Year
Plans. Though, it is said that there were
annual plans but the fact is that there
were only stop-gap arrangements.
These are the years that represent
changes of government, instability or
lack of clarity about developmental
goals and strategies. Therefore, either
the five year plans were not formulated
or were subject to review and changes
by the succeeding governments. Many
observers call these years as years of
plan holidays.
During the Ninth Five-Year Plan,
within the broader objective of
raising the standard of living of the
people and to open out to them
opportunities for a richer and more
varied life, there have been continuities
and shifts in goals, priorities, strategies
and perceptions. Successive plans
consistently placed emphasis
on the attainment of the objectives
of self-reliance, social justice,
industrialisation, modernisation and
economic growth. But all plans did not
place equal emphasis on the same
objectives. However, till the time of
Seventh Five - Year Plan (1985-90),
planners had been caught in the
dilemma and choice between rapid
economic growth and distributive
justice. Also in the situation of a
democratic order of gaining votes and
support of various sections of the
society there was absence of political will
to attack vested interests when
required. In addition, the bureaucracy
not only was not oriented and trained
SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING IN INDIA
for development administration, but
itself belonged to the propertied class
and those sections of the society which
was not in favour of change. As a result,
the primary concern of development in
India became economic growth. Even
the public sector became an instrument
to serve the interests of middle class
and upper-middle class consumers.
State, under pressure from vested and
powerful interests kept on providing
subsidies for richer sections of the
society instead of collecting taxes from
them for social transformation. Unable
to mobilise resources the State became
dependent on aid and loans both from
within the and outside the country.
Consequences of all these were:
(i) A large fiscal deficit because of
government expenditure outpacing
income and revenues.
(ii) A huge foreign debt, with a high
debt-service ratio bringing country
under debt-trap causing serious
repayment problems and
undermining the countrys credit
rating.
(iii) An inefficient economy in which on
the one hand processes of controls
and licenses which had been
introduced to guide economic
development into desired
directions had become means of
corruption and hindrance in the
growth; and on the other hand the
public sector, established to create
infrastructure, labour welfare
and provision of essential goods
for masses, had become huge
loss making inefficient and
bureaucratic controlled units in
107
the service of politicians, private
sector and civil servants.
Thus, by the middle of 1980s India,
like many other developing countries
was in a serious economic situation.
At this very time, the Western developed
world once again was working to
establish its control over the world
economy by integrating the whole
world into a global capitalist economic
order. Collapse of Soviet Union and
other East European socialist countries
helped in paving the way for this.
Developed world thus, started making
use of international economic
institutions like International Monetary
Fund and World Bank to pressurise the
under -debt, and slowly developing
countries for changing their economies
in line with the process of what came to
be known as globalisation.
NEW ECONOMIC POLICY AND
GLOBALISATION
Having failed to achieve the goals either
of a rapid rate of growth or satisfactory
redistributive justice the government
from the beginning of 1980s started
tilting towards giving preference to
growth. It was felt that state controls,
public sector and restrictions on
private sector introduced in the name
of planned development and social
justice have prove a hindrance in the
path of growth. Thus, there began the
process of liberalisation of economy.
By middle of 1980s the strategy
for development had become two-fold.
First was to de-emphasise the
role of the government in economic
108 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
development by ruthlessly slashing the
public sector outlays and opening up
the economy for private enterprise.
Second was to tighten the control of
the planners over what was left of the
government rule, particularly in areas
of taxation and credit related policies.
The changes in the policy packages
towards New Economic policy started
from early 1980s remained limited and
unsystematic. It was from 1991
onwards that a clear well defined new
economic and development policy was
set in. All governments since then have
been carrying the economic reform
process forward. The new economic
policy is based on the ideals of
liberalisation, privatisation and
globalisation.
In this context there came removal
of industrial licensing on most
products, disinvestments of govern-
ment holding in public sector,
reduction in the number of products
reserved for small sectors, liberal-
isation and reduction of tariffs on
imports, and removal of restrictions
and encouragement to foreign private
capital. All this mean freedom to
private sector to produce whatever it
wants, decline in the status and role of
public sector, arrival of foreign goods
and investment in Indian markets and
withdrawal of state or reduction in
its role in various social service sectors
including housing, health and education.
The new economic policy has both
positive and negative points. No doubt
it has given impetus to production and
growth by giving initiative to private
sector. There is competition in the
market and consumers have a wide
range of choice. Countrys balance of
payment situation seems to have
stabilised. Benefits of technological
developments and information
technology revolution are reaching
India fast. Critics, however, point that
these gains are very limited and benefit
only a small section of the society.
Related to this is criticism of
consumerism. The multinational
companies to sell their goods, with vast
resources in their hands are using
media and advertisements to create
demands for goods and products
which are non-essential. Another
consequence of this is change in value
systems. Everything Western, including
values, are considered superior.
It is also pointed out that economic
reform have neglected the agriculture
sector as also generation of employment
which are very essential in a country
like India. On the other hand it has
failed to reduce the revenue deficit.
Similarly, foreign borrowing is
increasing and will show its impact in
due course of time. There is a
redistribution of income in favour of the
better of classes and deterioration in
living standards of masses. Asset
owners stand to gain, wage and salaried
workers to lose. The process of
development and planning itself
therefore has become different.
NEW ECONOMIC POLICY AND
PLANNING
New Economic Policy means change in
the perspective of role of State in
SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING IN INDIA
economy and development. It, however,
does not mean rejection of the need for
determination of goals of development
and providing necessary path and
guidance for that. Also in a democracy
State remains under tremendous
pressure of voters and therefore, cannot
completely neglect their demands and
aspirations. Hence, even in the new
economic environment, economic
planning continues to be an important
factor determining the strategies for
public investment, besides providing
guidelines for channelising private
sector investment in desired directions.
In this context process of long-term
planning continues in India. However,
from Eighth Plan onwards, there is
change in the concept of economic
planning. Now onwards, it is stated
that, the role of planning will largely
be indicative. In other words, plan will
not be used to direct investable
resources according to the priorities
fixed by the government, irrespective of
the signals given by market forces. The
Preamble to the Plan Document on the
Ninth Five -Year Plan (1997-2002)
states that the objective of the plan is to
focus on growth with social justice and
equity. The participation of public and
private sectors and all tiers of
government in this process is, therefore,
vital. The Approach paper to Tenth
Plan (2002-2007) approved by National
Development Council in September
2001 indicates that in future the role
of government and the public sector will
be confined to social sector while
infrastructure development and
industrial development will be left to the
109
private sector. The Planning would seek
to better the quality of life on all fronts
by the end of Eleventh Five -Year Plan.
This, of course will need serious efforts
and renewed energies. Unfortunately,
the experience so far has not been that
much encouraging.
DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING AN
ASSESSMENT
From the above discussion it brings
out that Planning was adopted to
transfer the poor, backward and under
developed social order into a
prosperous independent developed
modern society based on the ideas of
balanced growth, justice, equity and
equality. For that purpose, so far we
had completed Nine Five Year Plans. All
of them have consistently placed
emphasis on the attainment of the
objectives of self-reliance, social justice,
industrialisation, modernisation and
economic growth. Further in the age
of globalisation and liberalisation
emphasis has shifted in favour of
providing incentives and facilities to the
private sector and attracting foreign
investment within the framework of
achieving growth with social justice.
Once we review the results of last
over 50 years of planned development
we can on the positive side say that
India has many achievements to its
credit. The overall volume of industrial
production had increased more than
four fold by the mid seventies. New
branches of the mining and processing
industries, including metallurgy and
heavy engineering have been created in
110 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
the state and private sectors. A stagnant
and dependent economy has been
modernised and made more self-reliant.
There has been a steady increase in
agricultural output, particularly of
food-grains, making us virtually self-
sufficient. There has been a good
measure of growth in the field of
banking, insurance, commerce and
transport. Judging by the enrolment
of students at the elementary and
secondary levels, one may conclude
that opportunities for education have
also expanded in a significant degree.
It is also important to note that the
average life expectancy in India rose
from 32 years in the forties to above 60
years in nineties. India is the most
technically advanced country in the
Third World. It had put satellites in
the space, exploded nuclear devices
and mined the sea-bed. Indian defence
has also made significant progress. A
wide variety of technical, managerial
and operative skills have been
developed. In agriculture and rural
development a large number of new
programmes have been started.
Inspite of all these achievements,
basic problems of India namely
poverty, unemployment, distributive
justice and self-reliance remains
unsolved. The successive five-year
plans have failed to bring about a
thorough transformation of the
economic structure of the country.
Infact the inequalities of wealth and
income distribution are increasing. A
large section of population still lives
below the line of poverty in a state of
hunger and inhuman conditions of life.
It is, therefore, important to
understand that a model of
development without taking into
account the basic needs of millions of
our countrymen cannot be conducive
for survival of democracy. Mere
growth rate measured in conventional
terms is not and must not be confused
with socio-economic development.
Development has to be understood as
a social process reflecting the will of a
community to take a common action
and a means through which it can
progress. The intended objective of
development planning should be the
improvement in the quality of life of all
the people and remove poverty,
ignorance, discrimination, disease
and unemployment. No effective
development can take place or
planning can succeed without peoples
participation. People have to be not
just the goals but also the means of
development strategy. Therefore, there
is need to make the development
process human-centred, one that the
people could initiate and develop at
different levels. In terms of machinery
one strategy for this is decentralisation
of planning. Some steps towards this
have been taken by acceptance of the
idea of multi level planning through
Panchayati Raj Institutions and a
District Development Agencies. About
these we will discuss in the next
chapter. But that itself is not the
answer. What is required is an
alternative model and strategy of
development and political will to
implement that.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING IN INDIA 111

EXERCISES

1. What do you mean by Planning? What is its importance for development?

2. Describe the socio-economic conditions of India at the time of independence.
3. Describe the composition and functions of Planning Commission.
4. How many Five-Year Plans have been completed so far?
5. Examine the New Economic Policy in India.
6. Give a brief assessment of planning and development in India.
7. Write short notes on the following:
(i) Mixed Economy;
(ii) Globalisation;
(iii) Goals of development for India.
112 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
CHAPTER 9
Multi Level Planning and
Role of District Development Agencies
I N the last chapter you have read that
the idea of planning in India was not
only for a comprehensive development
but it also was based on the principles
of democracy, with considerable scope
for participation of the people and their
representatives in its formulation and
evaluation. In view of this, it was
decided to involve various institutions
in plan formulation, implementation,
monitoring and evaluation. These
included the National Development
Council (NDC), Planning Commission,
State Planning Boards, District
Planning Cells, Planning Cells in Central
and State Ministries and Parliament.
The idea thus was to have a multi level
planning. It was to formulate plans by
District Planning Cells at District level,
integrate them into state plans to be
formulated by State Planning Boards,
in turn to be integrated into national
plan to be formulated by Planning
Commission.
CENTRALISATION
Though in the initial years of planning
the concept and methodology of Multi
Level Planning was formulated but in
practice it was different. Indian planning
was conceptualised at two levels only
National and State. In fact, as some
critics point out, the Planning
Commission had even encroached
upon the autonomy of the States under
the federal system. Planning
Commission began to modify or even
reject the States proposals for
development programmes for which
central financial assistance was sought
and which could be granted only on the
recommendations of the Planning
Commission.
The central planning system has
been unable to provide for equitable
distribution of the benefits of economic
growth among regions and groups. The
decision makers at the centre would
not be able to understand the needs of
heterogeneous regions and groups. In
central planning and management
there is over-concentration of power,
authority and resources at the centre.
Red tape and highly structured,
procedures are its inevitable
characteristics. In a vast country like
India, with considerable degree of
MULTI LEVEL PLANNING AND ROLE OF DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES
diversity between regions, planning by
a sole central planning agency can even
be counter productive.
NEED FOR DECENTRALISATION
It has been widely recognised that an
effective and meaningful national
development is not possible without
giving adequate importance to parties
who have stake in development. In other
words national development should be
a national endeavour involving a large
number of parties at different levels.
Various levels of government are
therefore, necessarily involved in the
formulation and implementation of
plans. This is what is known as
decentralised planning. Broadly
speaking decentralisation in planning
means the involvement of the people at
various stages of plan formulation and
implementation. Decentralisation, is an
essential way for the success of
development particularly in a country
like India with wide spread diversities,
imbalances and differences in
necessities. Thus, the planning has to
be done at the central level, at the state
level and at levels below the state that
is district, block and even village. This
requires establishment of a suitable
planning machinery at various levels.
EXPERIMENTS IN DECENTRALISATION
AND PEOPLES PARTICIPATION
In India there has been a realisation of
the importance and necessity of peoples
participation and decentralisation.
In fact, in the Constitution of India itself
113
the subject planning is mentioned in
the Concurrent List and not in the
Union List. It means that the
responsibility for undertaking planned
development through systematic
formulation, implementation and
evaluation of plans is a responsibility
of both the Centre and the States. Also
the ideas of decentralised planning,
planning from below, peoples
participation in planning, multi level
planning etc., have been mentioned time
and again in the Five-Year Plans. For
the coordination between the Union
and States a National Development
Council was established. The
Community Development Programme
and establishment of Panchayati
Raj Institutions were the most
comprehensive attempts at putting the
idea of grass roots planning into action.
In general, these attempts failed.
However, from time to time failures of
centralised planning and need for
decentralisation kept on being
emphasised.
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
The National Development Council
is one of the key organisations to
symbolise the federal approach
to planning in India. It is a product
of the Planning Commissions
recommendations. In the draft outline
of the First Five-Year Plan, the
Commission recommended the need for
a body comprising the Central and
State governments to enable the plans
to have a national character. According
the National Development Council, set
114 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
up in August 1952, the function of the
Council are:
(i) to prescribe guidelines for the
formulation of the national plan;
(ii) to consider the national plan as
formulated by the Planning
Commission;
(iii) to assess resources required for
implementing the plan and to
suggest ways and means for
raising them;
(iv) to consider important questions
of social and economic policy
affecting development;
(v) to review the working of the plan
from time to time and to
recommend such measures as are
necessary for achieving the aims
and targets articulated in the
national plan.
The National Development Council
is chaired by Prime Minister and is
comprised of all Union Cabinet
Ministers, Chief Ministers of States, Chief
Executives of the Union Territories and
members of the Planning Commission.
The Council is required to meet at least
twice a year. In its meetings it generally,
reviews the approach papers to the Five-
Year Plans, Draft Five-Year Plans and
Five-Year Plans.
There are differences of opinion
with regard to role played by NDC in
national planning. Some feel that it
has functioned as a useful link
among the Union Government,
Planning Commission and the State
governments. It has contributed in
providing a rational perspective to
planning. The other view is that the
NDC has not been able to act as an
effective instrument for developing
consensus and commitment to the
national policies. The Sarkaria
Commission which was appointed to
review Centre-State relations has
recommended that the NDC should be
made more effective, so that it emerges
as the supreme institution at
the political level for the Centre
State planning relations. It has
also recommended to give it a
constitutional status and rename and
reconstitute it as National Economic
and Development Council.
STATE PLANNING BOARDS
A number of subjects involved in
developmental activities like agriculture,
irrigation, power, cooperation, social
service, etc., are in the State list. As such
both planning at State level and
coordination between the Central and
the State governments in the sphere of
development are essential. In the initial
years while at the Central level the
Planning Commission was constituted
to formulate plans at the Central level,
no such institution was created by the
State. Almost all States had a planning
department as a part of government,
which was felt to be inadequate. The
Planning Commission itself pointed out
this problem in 1962 and suggested
for the establishment of State
Planning Boards.
On the basis of the above
suggestions some States constituted
State Planning Boards. But these were
not given clearly defined functions.
Therefore, they were not much
MULTI LEVEL PLANNING AND ROLE OF DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES
successful. The Administrative Reforms
Commission, appointed in 1967, in its
recommendations suggested to entrust
the State Planning Boards with the
tasks of macro-level economic planning,
assessing state resources, determining
priorities and facilitating district
planning. In 1972 Planning
Commission issued guidelines for
strengthening the State planning
machinery by including a number of
technical experts in it. Thus, in 1970s
several States set up Planning Boards
with a view to complement and
supplement the already existing
planning machinery. It was hoped that
the States with the help of the planning
boards, would be in a better position
not only for mobilising resources and
apprising the plans on a more scientific
lines but they would also be enhancing
their capabilities for bargaining with the
Planning Commission.
There is no uniform structure of
State Planning Boards. These differ
from State to State. As Sarkaria
Commission in its report observed that
although State Planning Boards had
been created in all States except one,
they have not been involved in real
planning work. The State Planning
departments continued to discharge
this responsibility. The Planning Boards
in general did not command due status
and authority in the State governments.
As far as Centre is concerned, grants
to States are released on the
recommendations of the Planning
Commission which generally, does not
show much concern for State
formulated plans. Thus, as a whole
115
functions and role of State Planning
Boards continue to be ambiguous and
limited. They have played only a limited
advisory role. Planning process has
continued to be centrally controlled
only with minor shifts towards
decentralisation.
DISTRICT PLANNING AGENCIES
Development planning has to be
people oriented. Accordingly, an
understanding of the needs of people
at grass roots level and fulfillment of
their needs are the most essential
aspects of planning. Mahatma Gandhi
strongly advocated decentralisation and
empowerment of people at grass root
level. Decentralised Planning enables a
better perception of the needs of all
areas, makes better decision making
possible, gives people a greater voice in
decisions concerning their development
and welfare, serves to achieve better
coordination and integration amongst
programmes. Framers of the
Constitution included this idea in
Part IV on Directive Principles of State
Policy. The Constitution enumerates
that the State shall take steps to
organise village Panchayats and endow
them with such powers and authority
as may be necessary to enable them to
function as units of self-government. In
the 1950s the Community Development
Programme and the establishment of
the Panchayati Raj Institutions were the
first and significant steps towards
putting the idea of grass root planning
into action. However, both these
attempts failed for various reasons.
116 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
PANCHAYATI RAJ
The government of India in 1957
appointed Balwant Raj Mehta
committee to study the problems of
development at the village level. The
Committee recommended for the
introduction of democratic institutions
to take care of all aspects of
development work. Accordingly, a three
tier structure of Panchayati Raj
Institutions with elected Panchayats at
the village level, an executive body called
the Panchayat Samiti at the block
level and an advisory body called
Zila Parishad at the district level were
setup.
While the goal behind Panchayati
Raj Institutions was very important,
the spirit with which these were
organised in various states lacked real
enthusiasm. As a result apart from
other failures the planning under the
Panchayati Raj Institutions was not
much of a success. They were really
never given a chance to actively engage
in local planning. They failed because
of lack of experience, skill and help
in planning; domination by the
bureaucracy; inadequate devolution of
financial powers and complete
subordination to State governments.
DISTRICT PLANNING AND DISTRICT
DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES
While planning in India has generally,
remained confined to the Centre
and State levels, unsatisfactory
results of this have kept the pressure
for decentralisation. Along with
Community Development Programme
and Panchayati Raj Institutions and
later with their failure, significant
suggestions have been made to evolve
the idea of District Planning and
establishment of District Development
Agencies. The Administrative Reforms
Commission in its report in 1969 had
recommended that there should be a
District Planning Committee consisting
of the representatives of the Zila
Parishad, Municipal bodies in the
district, professional talent in the
district with appropriate association of
the district officers. The Planning
Commission also issued guidelines for
decentralised planning and for
establishment of District Planning
Agency involving government, local self-
government bodies and progressive
farmers and entrepreneurs. A suitable
planning machinery at the district level,
however, remained missing. Ashok
Mehta Committee in its report in 1978
pointed out that Panchayati Raj
Institutions have been rarely given an
opportunity to take up planning or
implementation work on a sizeable
scale. In its suggestions the committee
proposed that the district should be the
first point of decentralisation below the
State. The block, which is the unit of
planning in most of the States, was not
to be the basic Unit of devolution by
merely an executive committee of the
Zila Parishad.
In 1978, a working group was
appointed to study block level
planning. The committee found that
planning machinery at the district level
was either non-existent or extremely
MULTI LEVEL PLANNING AND ROLE OF DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES
deficient. The committee suggested for
strengthening of District Planning Cells.
On the basis of these recommendations,
the Planning Commission once again
in 1982 issued guidelines for
strengthening of planning at the district
level. The scheme suggested for
inclusion of technical personnel with
knowledge and skills required for
scientific district planning. To
transform the district planning idea
from a concept to a reality the Planning
Commission also set up a working
group on District Planning under the
chairmanship of C.H. Hanumanta
Rao. The working group in its
report submitted in 1984 said:
decentralisation (through district
planning) enables a better perception
of the needs of the local areas, makes
better informed decision making
possible, gives people a better voice in
decisions concerning their development
and welfare, serves to achieve better
coordination and integration among
programmes, enables felt needs of the
people to be taken into account,
ensures effective participation of the
people, serves to build up a measure of
self-reliance by mobilising resources of
the community in hand or money,
making development of local resources
and growth potentials of local area for
improved productivity and increasing
production feasible.
The working group accordingly laid
down the functions of district planning
agencies. These were (i) crystallisation
of local needs and objectives; (ii) taking
stock of the natural and human
development; (iii) listing and mapping
117
of amenities; (iv) formulation of district
plans; (v) formulation of policies,
programmes and priorities;
(vi) coordinated implementation; and
(vii) monitoring and review of district
plan and programmes. To fulfil these
tasks the working group suggested for
broad-based district planning agencies
comprising of representatives from the
Zila Parishad, Panchayat Samitis,
Municipalities, MLAs and MPs from the
district, representatives of workers,
entrepreneurs and banks, etc.
On the recommendations of
Hanumanta Rao group and with the
motivation and assistance of the
Planning Commission, District Planning
Cells have been created in a number of
States. The primary job of a District
Planning Cell is preparing a resource
paper for the district with the help of
other district level departments. In
many cases these cells have been
entrusted with the task of formulating
district annual plans. But generally,
District Planning Cells have remained
mere a formality then actually
functioning in a real meaningful way.
The basic reason is contradiction
between planning and authority. In the
absence of any financial powers it
becomes impossible for the district level
bodies to set targets, decide on priories,
mobilise resources and decide on
allocations. Also in most of the cases
District Planning bodies have not been
provided with adequate trained and
competent planning personnel.
However, as has been said, there is
a realisation at least at conceptual
level that it is very important that
118 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
development and planning is initiated
at district level. An encouraging step
towards this has finally been taken by
giving constitutional recognition to
district level planning by the 73rd and
74th Constitutional amendments.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT AND
DISTRICT PLANNING COMMITTEES
A major initiative in strengthening and
rejuvenating local-self governments
finally came in 1992 with the adoption
of 73rd and 74th amendments of
the Constitution. Through these
amendments for the first time
institutions below the State level,
Panchayats, Municipalities and
Corporations have been given
constitutional status. Certain functions
of these bodies have also been made
mandatory within this frame work. The
74th amendment also makes provision
for the constitution of a planning
committee at the district level to
consolidate plans prepared by the
Panchayats and the Municipalities and
prepare a development plan for the
district as a whole. The State legislature
has been empowered to make
provisions with respect to the
composition of the District Planning
Committees (DPC).
The 74th amendment also
prescribes that while preparing
the draft development plan DPC
will keep in view matters of common
interest between Panchayats and
Municipalities including spatial
planning, sharing of water and other
physical and natural resources; the
integrated development of infrastructure
and environmental conservation and the
extent and type of available financial and
non-financial resources.
The district has been accepted as
advantage point for development and
planning for several reasons. As already
mentioned a number of committees and
studies have favoured this. The major
reasons, as given by several experts,
have been summed up as:
(i) A district is relatively closer to the
local population than is any other
middle level regional spatial unit.
(ii) A district is large enough to serve
as a viable planning unit.
(iii) Because of historical reasons
it has a settled pattern of
administration with a high degree
of internal consistency and
well-established administrative
relationships.
(iv) Most information relating to
revenue, land records, irrigation
works, development loans,
housing, roads, electrification,
social services, etc., is organised
on a district to district basis.
(v) Most departments and agencies of
the State governments have their
regional offices located at the
district level.
(vi) Because of the well-entrenched
administrative system at the
district level, district planning
facilitates a clearer evaluation of
the impact of the development
efforts and initiatives on the people
and the institutions of that area.
MULTI LEVEL PLANNING AND ROLE OF DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES 119

(vii) Peoples awareness of the of grassroots and diversified planning

administrative process in a
district is high because of their
long time association with the
district administration.
As a whole, development agencies
at the district level have an important
role to play in the planning and
development process. The 73rd and
74th Amendments of the Constitution
have raised some hopes for the
empowerment of district and lower level
institutions but the results so far are
not very encouraging. It is time for the
policy makers to realise the importance
particularly in a country like India with
so much diversities, imbalances and
differences in needs and aspirations. It is
the absence of appreciation of peoples
aspirations and steps to fulfil them that
create situations of regional and sectional
movements which ultimately become
serious issues for national integration
itself. National integration can best be
achieved by involving the people as
participants in decision making and
implementation of developmental process
and not by imposing values and needs
from the above.

EXERCISES

1. Why is decentralisation important in India?

2. Describe the composition and functions of National Development Council.
3. Explain the development of District Planning Agencies.
4. Describe the changes in the nature of District Planning Committee brought
in by 73rd and 74th amendment of the Constitution.
5. Write short notes on the following:
(i) State Planning Boards;
(ii) Panchayati Raj and Planning;
(iii) Need for Decentralisation.
120 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
CHAPTER 10
Development of Weaker Sections : Scheduled Castes,
Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes
Y OU have already read that after
independence the Constitution of
India, keeping in view the desires and
aspirations of the people, values
strengthened during national freedom
movement and the ideas prevailing in
the world, envisaged for State not only
a democratic political order but also the
goals of Justice, Liberty, Equality and
Fraternity. These goals are clearly
reflected in the Preamble of the
Constitution, in parts on Fundamental
Rights and Directive Principles and
other specific Articles in the
Constitution. All these provisions
suggest that India is a welfare state,
committed to the welfare and
development of its people in general and
of vulnerable sections in particular. The
vulnerable sections in India include
Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes
and Other Backward Classes, Women,
Minorities, Disabled and Children. For
the welfare of these people mere
guaranteeing of right to equality or
universal adult franchise were not
sufficient. The ideal of political
democracy had to be backed by social
and economic democracy. Therefore,
what was required was a strong
constitutional mechanism for protection
of interests and rights of vulnerable
or weaker sections of society and
at the same time special schemes
and programmes for their welfare,
development and empowerment.
SCHEDULED CASTES
Scheduled Castes are people
belonging to those castes, races which
have been or may in future be specified
in a list in accordance with Article 341
of the Constitution. In traditional
terms these are the people who were
considered outcastes, categorised as
untouchables. This was a part of the
rigid caste system dividing the Indian
society into high and low on the basis
of birth without any logic or rationale.
The people of lower castes considered
untouchable were assigned menial
jobs and occupations. They were
oppressed and exploited by those
who belonged to the higher
castes. Economically and socially
they remained extremely poor and
marginalised.
DEVELOPMENT OF WEAKER SECTIONS
During the course of history there
had been emerging voices against the
caste system. Religious and social
reformers have been raising voices
against it and for its abolition. Religious
movements like Budhism, Jainism,
Sikhism and Bhakti movement in
general had rejected the social and
ritual justification of this caste system
and oppression. The system, however,
has remained. During British colonial
period with the arrival of western liberal
values and rise of socio-religious reform
movements the question of caste
discrimination came to the forefront.
Within lower caste people themselves
there emerged a consiousness and
awareness about their plight and
demand for change. Dr B.R. Ambedkar
and Mahatma Gandhi, in particular,
though in different ways, had brought
up the issue of caste discrimination in
a significant way. British colonial
government, for various reasons had
began formulating some policies
including those of reservations, for
these castes. The national movement
made the issue of Scheduled Castes
upliftment part of its agenda. As such
at the time of independence, there was
both a demand and commitment for
SCs welfare and development. The
government, therefore, took up the task
of SCs welfare right from the time of
enactment of the Constitution.
SCHEDULED TRIBES
Another social category economically,
socially and politically marginalised is
that of Scheduled Tribes. Legally like
121
Scheduled Castes, tribes are people
belonging to tribes or tribal
communities specified in the list of such
tribes as per Article 342 of the
Constitution. Scheduled Tribes are
weaker sections not in terms of caste.
They are the people who have been living
in remote forest areas and hill tracks
as tribes without any access to modern
socio-economic inputs. It is difficult to
define the tribal peoples of India in
terms of any single set of formal criteria.
They are popularly believed to
constitute the aboriginal element in
Indian society. But most tribals share
certain common features like, nature
of rurality, illiteracy, economic
backwardness, and social deprivation.
Historically, one of the principal feature
of the tribal population has been its
ecological, economic and social
isolation. For centuries, the tribal
people have been confined to hills and
forests. This isolation has left definite
impression on their social systems. It
has also given them, in spite of wide
cultural variations, a common destiny
in the Indian society.
Like Scheduled Castes, it was
during British colonial rule that there
emerged a tribal consciousness. Here,
the reason was little different. As
mentioned above for centuries tribal
areas had remained unconnected with
the mainland and mainstream.
Therefore, they were outside the
effective control of state and state laws.
They had their own economy, tribal
laws and customs. It was during
British rule that with the extension of
administration all over and laying of
122 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
railways, roads, etc. that tribal areas
came under direct administrative
control. Along with administrators,
traders, money lenders and
entrepreneurs also reached tribal areas.
Tribals were deprived of their land and
autonomy. In many cases there started
tribal revolts. There also emerged
among national movement leaders and
British administration a concern for
protection and welfare of tribal people.
WELFARE OF SCHEDULED CASTES
AND SCHEDULED TRIBES
From the above it becomes clear
that the Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes have been the most
disadvantaged and neglected people in
Indian society. As mentioned in the
beginning, the situation and needs were
acknowledged by the framers of the
Constitution themselves. Thus, on the
one hand Constitution of India itself
prescribed certain protective measures,
safeguards and welfare measures for
these sections and on the other hand
successive Five-Year Plans have also
regarded the welfare of SCs and STs as
a major objective of development policy.
In addition, both the Union and State
governments have taken up specific
steps and launched various schemes
and programmes for their improvement.
Constitutional Provisions
The Constitution prescribes protection
and safeguards for Scheduled Castes
and Scheduled Tribes as also of other
weaker sections either specially or by
way of insisting on their general rights
as citizens with the objective of
promoting their educational and
economic interests and removing social
disabilities.
Article 17 of the Constitution
abolishes untouchability and forbids its
practice in any form. The untouchability
(offences) Act was passed in 1955. Its
scope was enlarged and its penal
provisions were made more stringent by
amending it in 1976. It was renamed
as Protection of Civil Right Act. In 1989,
another Act called Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled T ribes (Prevention of
Atrocities) was passed.
While Article 17 of Fundamental
Rights abolishes untouchability,
Articles 14, 15 and 16 establish
principles of equality and social justice.
Article 14 proclaims equality before law
and equal protection of law for all.
Article 15(1) prohibits discrimination on
grounds of race, caste, sex, religion or
place of birth. Article 16(1) further
provides equality of opportunity to all.
These two articles apart from
proclaiming every one equal also gives
power to the State for making special
provisions for SCs and STs.
Apart from the protective
discrimination clauses in the
Constitution, the Directive Principles of
the State Policy may be considered as
mechanism for realising the goal of
social justice and social transformation
in the direction of just society. Articles
38 and 46 specifically aim at securing
social justice to the deprived sections
of the population. Apart from these
Articles, provisions have been made for
reservation of seats for SCs and STs in
DEVELOPMENT OF WEAKER SECTIONS
Lok Sabha and State Assemblies and
governmental services and educational
institutions. There is also a provision
for setting up of tribal advisory councils
and separate departments in States and
appointment of a special officer at the
Centre to promote their welfare and
safeguard their interests.
National Commission
for SCs and STs
In 1990 by 65th Amendment of the
Constitution the special officers post
under Article 338 has been substituted
by the National Commission for
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes. The SC and ST Commission
shall consist of a Chairperson, a Vice-
Chairperson and five other members to
be appointed by the President. It shall
be the duty of the Commission: (i) to
investigate and monitor all matters
relating to the safeguards provided for
the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes under the Constitution or under
other laws; (ii) to enquire into specific
complaints with respect to the
deprivation of rights and safeguards of
the SCs and STs; (iii) to participate and
advise on the planning process of socio-
economic development of the SCs and
STs; and to evaluate the progress of their
development under the Union and any
State; (iv) to present to the President
annually, and at such other times as the
Commission may fix reports upon the
working of these safeguards; (v) to make
in such reports/recommendations as to
the measures that should be taken by
the Union or any State for the effective
123
implementation of those safeguards
and other measures for the pro-
tection, welfare and socio-economic
development of the SCs and STs; and
(vi) to discharge such other functions in
relation to the protection, welfare and
development and advancement of the
SCs and STs as the President may
subject to the provisions of any law
made by Parliament, by rule, specify.
The Act also provides that the
Commission, while investigating and
monitoring any matter relating to
safeguards provided for SCs and STs,
shall have all powers of a civil court
trying a suit. It is also provided that the
Union and every State government shall
consult the Commission on all major
policy matters affecting SCs and STs.
Special Schemes and Programmes
for SCs and STs
In accordance with these Constitutional
provisions and directives the
government of India and all States have
been formulating and implementing
various schemes and programmes for
the upliftment of SCs and STs within
the process of Planning and outside.
These programmes relate to education,
skill formation, creating job
opportunities and development of the
areas in which these people are
concentrated.
In the field of education in most of
the States, education up to higher level
has been made free for SCs and STs.
Seats have been reserved for them,
generally, in accordance with
percentage of population, in various
124 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
educational institutions. A Book
Bank scheme has been launched to
provide textbooks required for the
students pursuing medical and
engineering degrees, agricultural,
veterinary and polytechnic courses.
A Girls Hostel Scheme was started in
T h i r d F i v e - Ye a r P l a n w i t h t h e
purpose of providing residential
facilities to tribal girls in pursuit of
education. A similar scheme was
started for boys in 1989-90. Various
schemes of scholarships have also
been started including pre-matric,
post-matric, and higher education.
In addition to these there are other
schemes also for helping improve
educational levels and standards of
SCs and STs.
To help SCs and STs in
employment, apart from making
reservations in jobs, specific schemes
have been started for training and
skill formation. One of these is the
coaching and allied scheme started
in the Fourth Five-Year Plan for
imparting training to SCs and STs in
respect of various competitive
examinations held by recruiting
bodies such as Union Public Service
Commission, State Public Service
Commissions, Public Sector
Undertakings, Banking service
recruitment boards and similar
agencies. There are State Scheduled
Castes Development Corporations to
uplift the SC/ST population living
below poverty line. In 1992-93
vocational training centers were set
up in tribal areas to develop the skills
of the tribal youth for gaining
employment or self employment
opportunities. In the Ninth Plan
period (1997-2002) a separate plan
of action for the development
of Primitive T ribal Gr oups has
been formulated. In 1987, the Tribal
Cooperative Marketing Development
Federation of India was set
up w i t h t h e p r i m e o b j e c t i v e o f
providing marketing assistance
and remunerative prices to ST
communities for their minor forest
produce and surplus agricultural
produce and to wean them away from
exploitative private traders.
Baba Saheb Dr Ambedkar
Foundation
Apart from schemes for education
and employment there also has
been launched programmes for
empowerment of SCs and STs. An
important step in this direction was
taken in March 1992 with the
establishment of Baba Saheb
Dr Ambedkar Foundation. The
Foundation has been entrusted with
the responsibility to manage, administer
and carry on the schemes and
programmes identified during the
centenary celebrations of Dr B.R.
Ambedkar. Some of these are
Dr Ambedkar National Award for social
understanding and uplift of weaker
sections; Dr Ambedkar International
Award for social change, harmony,
equity, justice and human dignity
for the exploited and the under
privileged; and putting up Memorial for
Dr Ambedkar.
DEVELOPMENT OF WEAKER SECTIONS
Tribal Research Institutes
Some States have set up T ribal
Research Institutes, for research,
education, collection of data, training,
seminars, workshops, professional
inputs in the preparation of tribal sub-
plan, publication of tribal literature,
codification of tribal customary laws,
etc. The tribal sub-plan strategy was
evolved during the Fifth Five - Year Plan.
It is based on the twin objectives of:
(i) protection of interests of tribals
through legal and administrative
support; and (ii) promotion of
development efforts through plan
schemes to raise their level of living.
There are now 194 integrated tribal
development projects.
STATUS OF SCHEDULED CASTES
AND SCHEDULED TRIBES
From the above discussion of
Constitutional and legal provisions and
of some of the plans, programmes and
schemes started for the welfare,
development and empowerment of
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes, it becomes clear that these people
have not only been made equal citizens
of India but have also been given special
privileges, preferences and concessions
to come out of their traditional lower and
inhumane position.
At the same time if we look at
the overall conditions of the Scheduled
Castes and Scheduled T ribes,
particularly in rural areas, we find that
in spite of constitutional provisions and
various plans, the poverty, illiteracy,
125
destitution, oppression and bondage
of these sections in large areas
remain intact. Untouchability, though
banned under the law continues to be
widely practiced. Indias bonded
labourers are almost exclusively drawn
from SCs and STs. Only an elite class
amongst SCs has benefited from
the governments policies and
welfare measures.
The reasons for this apathetic status
of SCs and STs are many. First of all
the problem is that provisions and plans
for the welfare of the SCs and STs are
strong at the constitutional and
planning levels, but weak in the
implementation. In many reports of the
Commissioner for Scheduled Castes
and Scheduled Tribes, the Planning
Commission and other bodies, it has
been pointed out that the staff and
administrative machinery provided by
the States is not adequate to carry out
the policy of welfare, even if necessary
funds are voted by the Parliament,
hence, the failure in implementation.
Another problem is of inadequate
funds and corruption. To begin with,
either adequate funds are not allocated
for the plans and programmes or
allocated funds are not made available.
Many a times a significant proportion
of funds do not reach the beneficiaries
a glaring example of the failure of
land reforms. This failure has kept SCs
in particular deprived of land and
dependent on landlords and big
farmers. In case of tribal development
the bureaucrats, trained in the colonial
tradition to maintain law and order
unaware of tribal social, cultural and
126 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
linguistic traditions and values, and
unconcerned with their expectations
end up as exploiters of tribals rather
than their protectors.
The problems of administrative
apathy and lack of funds is very much
linked with problems in planning itself.
The planning in general has been
lopsided, piecemeal and middle class
or even elite oriented rather than mass
oriented. At the political level decisions
are taken more keeping in view the
immediate concern for votes and note
the long-term visions. One result of this
is while law has established
commissions, and enacted laws for
preventing untouchability and other
offences against SCs and STs, these
provisions lack teeth and an effective
machinery for imparting justice.
Particularly in case of Scheduled
Tribes, planners have not appreciated
the tribal culture, language, religion,
customs and land rights. They,
therefore, formulate plans with their
own assumptions and as parts of
national plans.
A serious matter that has emerged
during last decade or so with regard to
status of SCs and STs is upper caste
backlash in some areas. Reacting to
emerging consciousness among these
castes and their struggle for rights in
some rural areas upper castes have
begun coercing them violently
including killing the activists and
raping the women. In some cases this
violence is being committed by
organised groups like Ranveer Sena in
Bihar. In view of the nature and
orientation of bureaucracy and police,
this blacklash is not crushed with that
heavy hand as it is required. Infact, in
many cases there is connivance of police
and other authorities in such cases of
oppression.
Thus, in spite of Article 17 of the
Constitution, untouchability offences
Act and Protection of Civil Rights Act
untouchability is practiced openly in
many places not only in villages but
also in cities. All this is resulting in
alienation of those groups and
emergence of T ribal and dalit
movements. These movements are
using both constitutional and extra-
constitutional methods to seek justice
thereby posing new issues in Indias
political process.
WELFARE OF OTHER BACKWARD
CLASSES (OBCS)
In India apart from Scheduled Castes
and Scheduled Tribes, there are other
weaker sections, who are economically,
socially and educationally backward.
They are known as Other Backward
Classes. Article 340 of the Constitution
empowers the government to appoint a
Commission to investigate into the
conditions of Other Backward Classes
and make recommendations.
It is necessary to make it clear
that the Constitution uses words
Backward Class. It means not just
any backward person, but a group of
people having general characteristics
of backwardness. Constitution,
however, does not specify which
groups constitute backward classes.
The Government had appointed two
DEVELOPMENT OF WEAKER SECTIONS
Backward Classes Commissions. These
commissions have given the criteria to
identify backward classes on the basis
of communities or castes.
The first Backward Classes
Commission was appointed in 1953
under the Chairmanship of Kaka Saheb
Kalelkar. This Commission used four
criteria for identifying the Backward
classes: (i) low social position in the
traditional caste hierarchy of Hindu
society; (ii) lack of general educational
advancement among the majority of a
caste/community; (iii) inadequate or
lack of representation in government
services; and (iv) inadequate
representation in trade, commerce and
industry. The Kalelkar Commission on
these basis identified 2,399 castes and
communities as Backward Classes.
However, there were dif ferences
within the Commission. Therefore,
government did not accept the
recommendations of this Commission.
The second Backward Classes
Commission was appointed in 1978
under the Chairmanship of B.P. Mandal
and this was known as Mandal
Commission. This Commission
formulated 11 indicators: four on caste
based social backwardness, three on
educational backwardness and four on
economic backwardness. In the
Commissions opinion backwardness
was related to Caste. Accordingly, it
identified 3,743 castes as backward on
the basis of above mentioned indicators.
Since then these castes have come to
be known as Other Backward Castes
(OBCs) meaning thereby backward
castes other than Scheduled Castes.
127
The Commission recommended
reservation of 27 per cent of jobs for
OBCs in central services, public sector
undertakings, nationalised banks,
universities and affiliated colleges and
government aided firms in the private
sector. Some quantum of reservations
for OBC students was recommended
in all scientific, technical and
professional institutions of education
run by the Central and State
Governments. The Commission also
made recommendations for economic
and occupational development of
the OBCs.
In August 1990, Government
of India announced the accept-
ance of Mandal Commissions
recommendations. Since then 27 per
cent reservation has been made
in jobs by Central government
and various percentages by State
governments. In addition, other
schemes have also been formulated
and launched for the welfare of
Backward Classes. Some of these are
given below:
National Backward Classes Finance
and Development Corporation
This body was set up by the
government of India in January 1992
with the objective of providing
concessional loans to the members of
backward classes living below the
poverty line. The corporation has also
launched a special scheme for eligible
women beneficiaries of backward
classes under the name of Swarnima.
128 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
Schemes for OBCs
From 1998-99 following schemes have
been launched for the welfare of OBCs:
(i) Pre-examination coaching: to
coach candidates belonging to
OBCs whose parents/guardians
annual income is less than Rs one
lac;
(ii) Hostels for OBC Boys and Girls;
(iii) Pre-matric Scholarships;
(iv) Post-matric Scholarships;
(v) Assistance to voluntary
organisations: The scheme
involves the voluntary sector to
improve educational and socio-
economic conditions of the OBCs
to get them gainfully employed.
From the above, it becomes clear
that apart from Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes the government has
also made adequate provisions for the
welfare of Other Backward Castes.
Some, observers, however feel that a
number of castes which are
economically well off are getting benefits
in the name of OBCs for political
reasons, whereas people who are
economically backward but technically
do not belong to these castes
remain neglected. According to these
observers Constitution suggests that
backwardness is to be identified by
class and not by caste or tribe. They,
therefore, suggest use of economic
criteria for backwardness.
The Supreme Court in its
judgement on 16 November, 1992
while accepted the criterion of caste as
relevant for reservation felt that within
Backward castes those whose economic
advancement is so high that it
necessarily means social advancement
or those who have occupied certain
posts of high social status should be
excluded from getting the reservation
benefits meant for OBCs. Once they are
advanced socially which also means
economically and educationally they no
longer belong to the Backward Classes.
However, the judgement also suggested
that those who have attained sufficient
capacity to compete with others should
be taken out of the OBCs. This has
been described as rule of exclusion
based on creamy layer concept. The
implication of this judgement is,
(i) Caste though a necessary condition
is no longer a sufficient condition;
(ii) Economic test should be applied
along with the already existing
identification criterion.
From the above discussion, it
becomes clear that in accordance with
the commitments made during
national movement and declarations
pronounced in the Preamble of the
Constitution of India to secure to all
citizens of India Justice, Liberty and
Equality. There had been provisions in
the Constitution and policies in the
planning process and otherwise for the
welfare of those sections of society who
have been denied justice and equality
for thousands of year simply on the
basis of birth. This has to be done
because socio-economic justice implies
rejection of the unjust social structure
and status-quo. There are no two
opinions about the fact that caste
system in India denotes a hierarchical
stratification of society based on
DEVELOPMENT OF WEAKER SECTIONS
division and gradation of people by
birth. Therefore, it implies social
inequality. For the lower caste people
their lower position has got reinforced
into a low class position by the
deepening unemployment and poverty.
It was not sufficient merely to
mention in the Constitution that all
citizens of India are equal and free.
There was need to create conditions and
environment by which the exploited
people could come out of centuries
old oppressive system. For this
were adopted various schemes and
programmes for the welfare and
development of Scheduled Castes,
Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward
Castes. At present the welfare of SCs
and STs is given special attention
by both the Central and State
governments. Special programmes for
their welfare have been undertaken in
the successive Five-Year Plans and the
size of investment in these special
programmes has been increasing from
Plan to Plan. A number of persons
belonging to Scheduled Castes,
Scheduled Tribes and Other
Backward Castes now are in various
levels of government jobs, educational
institutions, Parliament, State Assemblies
and local-self government bodies. They
do have access to social institutions.
At the same time a large number of
persons belonging to these categories
in different parts of the country
continue to suffer discrimination, social
exclusion, and oppression. They still
live in a pathetic situation of poverty,
illiteracy and social marginalisation.
Mindset of a large section of persons in
129
India continues to be besieged with
beliefs of superiority and inferiority of
caste. In rural areas at many places
Scheduled Castes have to live outside
the village. They continue to be engaged
in traditional menial jobs. They suffer
oppression and violence in the hands
of upper-caste landlords, not allowed
to vote in election and own land.
Reasons for this are many which
include lack of political will, faulty
planning, administrative apathy, lack
of resources and widespread
corruption. At the same time because
of introduction of democracy and
universal franchise the so-called lower
caste and tribal people are becoming
aware of their plight and rights. They
are asserting for justice and change in
the position. This on the one hand is
forcing the State to take effective steps
for their welfare and on the other hand
is causing a backlash from certain
upper castes who do not want any
change in status quo.
It is important for us to understand
that there is no religious, scientific or
other rationality behind hierarchy of
caste system. The rigidity of caste
system is not only against the principles
and ideals of justice, equality and
freedom but also a big hindrance in the
path of nations development. We have
to come out of our mindsets, appreciate
the values and norms of a democratic,
welfare state and society and work for
a harmonious, equality based just
system. In this State alone cannot do
much. What is required is both support
and pressure from enlightened and
educated sections of society.
130 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

EXERCISES

1. Describe the provisions made in Indian Constitution for the welfare of

Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
2. Mention the functions of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes
and Scheduled Tribes.
3. Examine the various schemes launched by the government for the welfare of
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
4. What steps have been taken by the government for the welfare of Other
Backward Classes?
5. Describe the significance of Mandal Commission Report.
6. Write short notes on the following:
(i) Baba Saheb Dr Ambedkar Foundation;
(ii) Creamy Layer.

CHAPTER 11
Development of Weaker Sections : Women
THE GENDER JUSTICE
O NE significant section of society
that has been denied justice in
India, in fact in a large number of
countries world over, is that of women.
For centuries they have been relegated
to sidelines of social, economic and
political life. Women have been given a
subordinate status promoting
oppressive and unequal human
relations at all levels of society. It is
being stressed that the problems of
women, who constitute half of the
worlds population, are the problems of
society as a whole, and that changes in
the present economic, political and
social situation of women must become
an integral part of efforts to transform
the structures and attitudes that hinder
the genuine satisfaction of their needs.
Thus, any process of development and
social justice that does not take into
account the necessity of improving the
status of women and finding more
effective methods and strategies that
will enable them to have the same
opportunities as men to participate
actively in the development of society
and country can not be considered
genuine. India is no exception to this.
131
WOMENS WELFARE IN INDIA
Women in India for centuries have
received unequal treatment in almost
all spheres of life. Indian society is a
patriarchal society. During the course
of history there also had been protests
against this position of women.
Particularly during Bhakti movement
in medieval period saints and religious
reformers had taken up the question of
emancipation of women. But they did
not have much impact.
During British colonial period with
the arrival of liberal ideas and in some
cases as a reaction to British rule there
sprang up many reformist movements
in India. Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj,
Prarthna Samaj and many other
movements took up the cause of
injustice against women. As is well
known, the early reformist Raja Ram
Mohan Roy denounced child marriage,
and sati and worked for the
emancipation of women in general. The
nineteenth century also saw for the first
time the enactment of social legislation
by the government which included
abolition of Sati (1829), Widow
Remarriage Act (1856), Civil Marriage
Act (1872), etc. Another significant
132 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
feature of the nineteenth century is the
attempts towards girls education.
In nationalist movement also, the
Indian womens immense hidden
potential found a forum for its release.
Gandhiji called on women to give up
purdah and participate in politics. In
1917 a womens delegation met the
Secretary of State for India to demand
franchise for women. In 1927 was
launched All India Womens Conference
for the welfare and development of
women.
While as a result of social reforms
and nationalist movement there
emerged awareness about womens
plight and consciousness for their
upliftment, in general there was not
much change in the social attitude
towards women, particularly in rural
areas. Also in spite of some significant
social legislature, property, inheritance
and such laws remained against
women. In general, at the time of
independence they were outside the
main stream of socio-economic process
and in actually did not have a rightful
place in society.
WOMENS WELFARE IN
INDEPENDENT INDIA
From the above, it becomes clear
that justice for women was one of the
issues of development even before
independence. Accordingly, it became
one of the focuses of developmental
planning in independent India.
In the Constitution of India itself
Articles in Fundamental Rights and
Directive Principles gave concrete shape
to these intentions. Article 14 confers
equality before law and equal protection
of law for all. This obviously means law
can not be discriminatory against
women.
Article 15 not only prohibits any
discrimination on grounds of religion,
race, caste, sex or place of birth but also
empowers the State to make any special
provision for women and children. It
means in favour of women and children
other sections can be discriminated
against, if it is so required. Similarly,
Article 16 guarantees equality of
opportunity in matters relating to
public employment.
Article 19 guarantees to all citizens
including women, freedoms of speech
and expression, assemble, form
associations or unions, move freely
throughout the territory of India, to
reside and settle anywhere and to
practice any profession or carry on any
occupation.
The Fundamental Rights thus,
make women like men and other
sections of society equal and free in all
walks of life. In addition provisions of
Fundamental Rights give powers to the
state to make special provisions for
women and children. Special provisions
further, are given in the form of directives
to the State in the Directive Principles
of State policy. These are:
(i) Men and women equally have the
right to an adequate means of
livelihood (Article 39);
(ii) There is equal pay for equal work for
both men and women (Article 39);
(iii) The health and strength of workers
men and women and the tender
DEVELOPMENT OF WEAKER SECTIONS : WOMEN
age of children are not abused and
that citizens are not forced by
economic necessity to enter
vocations unsuited to their age or
strength (Article 39);
(iv) Make provisions for just and
humane conditions of work and
maternity relief.
Apart from these negative and positive
obligations on the state, the Constitution
also (after the 42nd Amendment 1976)
imposes a fundamental duty on all
citizens, to renounce practices derogatory
to the dignity of women (Article 51A). As
mentioned earlier the Constitution of India
has also granted universal franchise.
Thus, women has equality both in right
to vote and contest elections.
WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT
POLICIES
Efforts for welfare and development for
women have been initiated at two levels.
One is enactment of laws and second is
formulation of welfare schemes and
projects.
The Laws
Enactment of laws means using law as
an instrument for change and
development. In this context in last 50
years or so many laws have been
enacted with a view to remove
disparities and provide conditions for
welfare. Some of the important laws
that have been passed by the
Parliament are: Special Marriage Act
1954, the Hindu Marriage act 1955, the
Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act
1956, Dowry Prohibition Act 1961,
133
Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act
1971, the Equal Remuneration Act
1976, the Child Marriage Restraint
(Amendment) Act 1978, and the
Criminal Law (Second Amendment
Act) 1985, the Dowry Prohibition
(Amendment) Act 1984.
In addition to enactment of laws
by the Legislature, the Judiciary also
has been interpreting some existing
laws in more favourable ways for
women. In a landmark judgement in
November 1995 the Supreme Court
gave the widow and daughter of a
deceased equal right to property left
by him. Judiciarys decision in cases
like Shah Bano and others have also
been important in terms of judicial
activism to reform the Muslim
personal laws.
Welfare Schemes
Apart from enactment of laws efforts
have also been made to formulate and
implement programmes and plans
for providing access to women
in education, skill development,
employment, fulfillment of special
necessities, gender sensitisation, etc.
Womens welfare and development has
also been a part of Five-Year Plans.
The Government of India in 1953
established a Central Social Welfare
Board with a nationwide programme
of grants in aid, for promoting
welfare and development services
for women, children and under
privileged groups. The Board has its
State counterparts.
A separate department of women
and child development was setup at the
134 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
centre in 1985 to give a distinct identity
and provide a nodal point on matters
relating to womens development. The
National Policy on Education 1986
was a landmark in the field of policy on
womens education. The consequent
programme of Action for the National
Policy on Education stated that the main
features of the implementation strategy
would be:
(i) to gear the entire education
system to play a positive
interventionist role in the
empowerment of women;
(ii) to encourage educational
institutions to take up active
programmes to enhance womens
status and further womens
development in all sectors;
(iii) to widen womens access to
vocational, technical, and
professional education at all levels,
breaking gender stereotypes;
(iv) to create a dynamic management
structure that will be able to
respond to the challenge posed by
this mandate.
In 1987 the programme of support
to T raining-cum-Employment for
women was launched to strengthen and
improve the skills for employment
opportunities for women below poverty
line in traditional sectors of agriculture,
animal husbandry, handlooms,
handicrafts, cottage and village
industries and sericulture where
women are employed on a large scale.
Another programme entitled the Indira
Mahila Yojana was started in 1995 with
the aim of organising women at the
grassroot level to facilitate their
participation in decision-making and
their empowerment. In October 1998,
the Rural Womens Development
and Empowerment Project was
also sanctioned.
NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR WOMEN
To safeguard the rights and legal
entitlements of women the Parliament
in 1990 enacted a law to establish the
National Commission for Women. The
Commission came into existence on 31
January, 1992. The functions assigned
to National Commission for Women are
wide and varied covering almost all facts
of issues relating to safeguarding
womens rights and promotion. Its
mandated activities include review of
legislation, interventions in specific
individual complaints of atrocities
and remedial action to safeguard the
interest of women where appropriate
and feasible.
As a whole it can be said that in
post-independence period there have
been conscious efforts to change the
position of women from inequality to
that of equality. At present, legally and
constitutionally, women in India are
given a status of equality with men.
Women are free to choose any form of
education and training to equip
themselves for a career. They can
undertake any specialist and higher
learning. But when we see the social
reality what is found is that on the one
hand only a small section of urban
educated women have been benefited
from the claimed legislative and
developmental actions and on the other
DEVELOPMENT OF WEAKER SECTIONS : WOMEN
hand gender bias in society not only
continues but in some ways has taken
a worse form in the shape of violence
and crimes against women. The
question of status of women in Indian
society remains serious and
deserves attention.
EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
The other major sectors of visible
differences between male and female
status are education and employment.
The female literacy rate in 2001 was
54.16 per cent as against 75.85 per
cent literate males. On the eve of
independence literacy rate of women
was 7.9 per cent in comparison to
54.16 per cent in 2001. Despite this
the number of illiterate women has
increased over the decades due to
population growth, non-enrolment of
girls and dropout from the formal
system of education. Illiteracy and
lack of education among women limit
their achievements in the field of
employment, training and utilisation
of health facilities.
SOCIAL INDICATORS
The Indian Constitution guarantees
legal and social equality to women.
Various laws have been enacted to
make gender equality a reality.
If a close scrutiny of the existing
laws is made, it becomes clear that still
many laws, particularly with right to
social issues, are in favour of men. What
is more important is that in practice
social behaviour towards women is full
of biases.
135
In matters of property, in spite of
recent laws and judicial decisions giving
womens equal share in the family
property, often justice is denied to
women by their families. In many
instances, the women concerned
are illiterate and, therefore, are duped
into signing away their legal
property rights.
Obviously, the above status of
women is not due to consti-
tutional provisions or lack of laws or
programmes. Reasons are various.
First is the deep rooted patriarchal
system, which makes male not only
the head of the family but socially
gives all decision making powers to
him. Within this patriarchal system
the process of socialisation both of
male and female children makes them
grow with the future acceptance of
their roles. In an average Indian
family preference is shown to male
children.
Along with these social factors,
our planning has also neglected
the development of women in
a comprehensive manner. The
programmes have been piecemeal and
in isolation. More important is that while
programmes have been formulated
adequate funds have not been released.
Thus, in the male dominated family
structure and caste and kinship based
society, lopsided development and
planning designed and implemented by
status quo oriented bureaucracy has
not allowed the desired changes in status
of women in terms of equality and
opportunities.
136 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

MOVEMENTS TOWARDS EMPOWERMENT of women from the political

From the above it becomes clear that
change of attitude towards women
within the family and social system
completely dominated by men cannot
be brought about by making laws or
policies alone. There is a need to bring
women themselves in decision making
and implementing process. Exclusion
Womens Representation in Parliament 1952-1999
Lok Sabha
decision making bodies and govern-
mental structures have been
reinforcing factors in gender-based
discrimination. No serious attempt has
been made either by the governments
in power or any political party to
address the problem of womens
participation in decision making
bodies.
Rajya Sabha

Year Seats Lok Sabha Percentage Seats Rajya Sabha* Percentage

Women of Women Women of Women
MPs MPs MPs MPs
1952 499 22 4.4 219 16 07.31
1957 500 27 5.4 237 18 07.59
1962 503 34 6.8 238 18 07.56
1967 523 31 5.9 240 20 08.33
1971 521 22 4.2 243 17 07.00
1977 544 19 3.4 244 25 10.25
1980 544 28 7.9 244 24 09.84
1984 544 44 8.1 244 28 11.48
1989 517 27 5.3 245 24 09.80
1991 544 39 7.2 245 38 15.51
1996 543 39 7.2 223 20 08.52
1998 543 43 7.92 245 15 06.12
1999 543 49 9.02 245 19 07.76
Average 528 33 6.15 238 22 09.00

* The composition of Rajya Sabha changes every two years. The figures of Rajya Sabha have
been picked up only for those years which allow comparison with Lok Sabha. The average for
Rajya Sabha is based on these years only.
Source: CSDS Data Unit, Delhi
DEVELOPMENT OF WEAKER SECTIONS : WOMEN
The womens movement, therefore,
have been struggling for reservation for
women in elective bodies. They
achieved partial success with 73rd and
74th Constitutional Amendments
providing 33 per cent reservation of
seats for women in Panchayati Raj
Institution and Municipalities and
Municipal Corporations. Struggle for
such a reservation in Parliament and
State Assemblies is on while almost all
political parties in public support this
demand, but when the bill to
implement this comes in the Parliament,
in one way or the other, it is not
allowed to be passed.
NATIONAL POLICY FOR THE
EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN 2001
The government of India in 2001 issued
a National Policy for the Empowerment
of women. The major objectives of this
policy include:
(i) Creating an environment through
positive economic and social
policies for full development of
women to enable them to realise
their full potential.
(ii) The de-jure and de-facto
enjoyment of all human rights and
fundamental freedom by women
on equal basis with men in all
spheres political, economic,
social, cultural and civil.
(iii) Equal access to women to health
care, quality education at all levels,
career and vocational guidance,
employment, equal remuneration,
occupational health and safety,
social security and public office, etc.
137
(iv) strengthening legal systems
aimed at elimination of all forms
of discrimination against women.
According to National Policy, all
Central and State Ministries will draw
up time bound action-plans for
translating the policy into a set of
concrete actions through a
participatory process of consultation
with Centre/State departments of
Women and Child Development and
National/State Commission for Women.
The National Policy document
also talks of strengthening of
institutional mechanisms, resource
management, legalisation, gender
sensitisation, partnership with the
voluntary sector organisations and
international cooperation, to achieve the
desired goals.
Needless to say the National Policy
for the Empowerment of women 2001
for the first time presents a
holistic approach and presents a
comprehensive notion of womens
development and empowerment. It is
now to be seen whether it remains a
document of intentions or something
really comes out of this.
Since India became independent,
many policies and measures had been
adopted to improve the conditions of
women. Despite all this, the situation
of women has not improved much.
Women, in general, have not been in
position to avail benefits from these
measures. However, many agencies like
the Central Social Welfare Board and
other departments have been set up to
look after the welfare of women. There
have been innumerable schemes
138 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

initiated to bring about economic self-
reliance through employment, income
generation, education, skill training
and other developmental programmes.
To back them up, the State has also
passed many laws. In fact, India ranks
as the country with the maximum
amount of social legislation for women.
Let us not forget that the full and
complete development of any country
requires the maximum participation of
women as well as of men in all fields:
the under nationalisation of the
potential of approximately half the
population is a serious obstacle to
social and economic development. It is
time for both men and women to come
out of myths, imposed traditions and
false notions of superiority of sex
and join hands for a more happy and
harmonious personal family and
social life.

EXERCISES

1. Mention the provisions in the chapter on Fundamental Rights and Directive

Principles of State Policy with regard to welfare of Women in India.
2. Enumerate any three laws enacted by the Parliament since independence for
the welfare of women.
3. Mention the main objectives of National Policy for the Empowerment of women,
2001.
4. Examine the demand for reservations of seats in Parliament and State
Legislatures as a mechanism for empowerment of women.
5. Write short notes on the following:
(i) National Commission for women;
(ii) Education and employment status of women;
(iii) Womens social status.
 139

UNIT IV
CHALLENGES AND RESPONSES TO
INDIAN DEMOCRACY
CHAPTER 12
Y OU have read that the framers of
the Constitution of India adopted
a democratic political order not only as
a desirable political system based on
the ideals of peoples participation, but
it was also a mechanism to achieve the
ideals of equality, liberty and social
justice. Democratic political order, it is
said, ensures, at least in principle,
equal participation of all individuals
irrespective of caste, creed, sex and
social origin in socio-economic and
political life of the nation. The Preamble
of the Constitution, and chapters on
Fundamental Rights and Directive
Principles make it clear that framers of
the Constitution wanted Indian
Constitution to be an instrument of
socio-economic justice. The basis of
socio-economic justice is equality
political, social and economic.
Seen from the perspective of
working of democracy also equality is
considered as one of the pre-conditions
for its successful functioning.
Democracy implies that there should
be a substantial degree of equality
among people. Equality here means
that inequality of wealth, of social
Inequality
Social and Economic
rank or of education and access
to knowledge should not be so
considerable as to result in permanent
subordination of some groups of people
to others. Thus, the idea and principle
of democracy cannot be divorced from
the principle of equality. If democracy
is peoples participation then the formal
participation in electoral process is only
one indicator of the equal opportunity
to participate. The effective participation
cannot be ensured without creating a
condition of effectivity. And this
effectivity can be advanced through
ensuring substantive equality. Mere
political equality in terms of equality of
opportunity would face disjunction in
case of social and economic inequality.
Hence, the ideal of political democracy
has to be backed by social and
economic democracy. In India we
adopted democracy to achieve, along
with political equality, social and
economic equality. Also, in the long run
we needed social and economic equality
as a necessary condition for the
successful working of democracy.
However, even after 55 years of
independence we have enormous
142 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
inequalities in our society and these are
posing a serious challenge to our
democratic system.
INEQUALITY
Socio-economic inequality in India is a
heritage of long history. India is the
worlds classic unequal society from
time immemorial. Inequality in Indias
past was the result of a rigid caste
system that had ordained professions
by the accident of birth in a given family
and Jati. The deprived and
marginalised were told that their
destitution, low status and misery are
ordained by destiny (karma) and that
they have to work within their assigned
status determined by their birth.
Another type of inequality i.e.
poverty, has been the consequence of
colonial past. It is not only India as a
whole that became poor, but within that
there emerged unequal classes and
differences in the levels of incomes.
Certain sections had monopoly over
land and means of production, and
larger masses were dependent on them
for employment and survival. Another
aspect of income inequality is the large
and persisting disparity between the
rural and urban incomes and
inequalities between different regions
and states, called regional inequalities
and imbalances. We are discussing
below the nature and extent of social
and economic inequalities and their
impact on political process. In another
chapter we will read in detail about
regional inequalities and their
consequences.
SOCIAL INEQUALITY
Social Inequality in India has largely
been prevalent on caste basis. The
Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes
and other Backward Castes (broadly
known as backward classes) represent
the social groups which have suffered
down the ages due to caste prejudices,
economic inequality, educational
backwardness.
Scheduled Castes
The term Scheduled Caste signifies
those groups of people who were out of
the caste system or the varna hierarchy
in the past. They comprise the bulk of
erstwhile untouchables or untouchable
castes. The Scheduled Caste is a
politico-legal term. It was first coined
by the Simon Commission and then
used in government of India Act 1935.
When India became independent this
term was adopted by the Constitution
for the purpose of providing these
castes some special privileges and
constitutional safeguards.
According to the practice of
determination of caste by birth and
assigning social status to them the
people belonging to Scheduled Castes
were the lowest in the caste hierarchy.
They were kept out from parti-
cipation in public life by being
branded as untouchables. Of course
Scheduled Castes do not constitute a
homogeneous group. Even among
themselves there is further stratification
and ranking. But together they are
segregated on the criteria of
untouchability. They have always been
INEQUALITY : SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC
outcastes. Only after independence,
their rights have been recognised and
they have been declared equal citizens
by the Constitution of India. As already
discussed in Chapter 10 various efforts
are being undertaken to improve their
status and position in the society.
However, the results so far are not much
encouraging. Hence, social inequality
on caste basis persists.
LEGAL EQUALITY
You have already read that the Preamble
of the Constitution of India establishes
equality, justice, and liberty as the
cardinal principles in regulating the
society and state in India. It was not
mentioned as a mere pious wish. The
non-discrimination principle of
citizenship rights included in the
category of fundamental rights ensures
equality before law and equal protection
of law, equality of opportunity and
liberty. The Constitution ensure
equality of opportunity to all irrespective
of caste, gender, religion, and ones
social status. It provides opportunity
to equal access in the public domain.
The Constitution (Article 17) mentions
unambiguously the abolition of
untouchability and makes its practice
a criminal offence. Through the chapter
on Directive Principles, the Constitution
(Article 46) directs the State that it must
endeavour to promote the educational
and economic interests of the Scheduled
Castes and Scheduled Tribes among the
weaker sections of the society.
Above all, the Constitution has
made the provision for preferential
143
treatment or affirmative action through
policy of reservations as a method
removing age-old disparities and
indignities. The idea of reservation was
accepted through provisions of
fundamental right itself. Article 15 (4)
makes provision for the advancement
of any socially and educationally
backward classes of citizens and Article
16 (4) provides for reservations in
appointments or posts in favour of any
backward class of citizens which in the
opinion of the State is not adequately
represented in its services. Articles
15 and 16 empower the State to
make reservations for Scheduled
Castes in educational institutions
and employment. The Constitution
specifically mention that the seats shall
be reserved for Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes in Lok Sabha and
State Assemblies. Accordingly out of
543 Lok Sabha seats 79 seats are
reserved for the Scheduled Castes and
out of 3,997 seats in State Assemblies
541 seats have been reserved for them.
The reservation policy thus is provided
in (i) government appointments; (ii) in
admission to educational institutions;
and (iii) in the Lok Sabha and Legislative
Assemblies of the States.
You have already read in an
earlier chapter various policies, plans
and programmes formulated and
implemented for the welfare and
upliftment of Scheduled Castes. Thus,
it can be said that the issue of social
inequality on the basis of caste system
was boldly tackled by the makers of the
Indian Constitution. Thereafter, during
the last 55 years the central and the
144 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
state governments have enacted
various legislations in favour of the
Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes
and other economically and
educationally backward classes.
Specific schemes, and programmes
have been launched for their welfare.
As a result of all these, there have come
some changes in the status of
Scheduled Castes. Some of them have
found ways of moving upward both at
socio-cultural as well as political level.
But as a whole the real benefits of the
Constitutional provisions and welfare
schemes have not reached to the most
needy and deprived persons.
Though the Constitution has
abolished untouchability, it still
continues in various parts of the
country. The masses of SCs continue
to toil, mainly as the service class for
their survival. They are by and large
landless labourers. They are mostly
engaged in menial jobs with little
control over resources such as
land, forest and water. The land
reforms, the legal measures to attempt
redistribution of land resources, have
not been implemented.
The emergence of a minuscule
minority among Scheduled Castes
on account of socio-economic
transformation and reservation policy
is symbolic of empowerment. The
representation of SCs and STs in the
Central Government Services speaks
of facts. As seen in Table 12.1, it is
quite clear that they are mainly
employed in Group C and Group D
services. More than fifty per cent of
the Safai Karamcharis (sweepers)
come from this group, which indicate
a kind of occupational continuity.
Some work in most dehumanised
and degraded conditions. According
to government records over 800,000
persons are employed as manual
scavengers. Even if a middle class has
emerged among the SCs due to the
measure of reservation policy, they
do not enjoy the same amount of
honour and prestige associated with
their achieved status as enjoyed by
members of higher castes.
As far as literacy rate is concerned,
in respect of SC/ST, they are far
behind the general population. The
enrolment ratio and dropout rate
in schools among SC students have
been quite negative as compared
to the general students. Dropout
rate of SC girl children is up to
75 per cent.
Added to all this is the fact of
atrocities against Scheduled Castes.
The police records suggest that while
the decennial general crime rate has
come down, the atrocities or the
incidence of violence against SCs has
increased. One of the reasons for
increasing violence against them is
the rising awakening among them
about their rights and intolerance of
the same by certain sections of upper
castes. While Scheduled Castes are
slowly trying to recover from such
disabilities, their social mobility is
hampered because of structural
problems and mindsets. May be, it
will take some time to come out of
this social thinking. This is also true
of the Scheduled Tribes as well.
INEQUALITY : SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC 145

Table 12.1: Representation of SCs/STs in Central Government Services

(as on 1 January, 1998)

Group Total SCs Percentage STs Percentage

A 63,466 6,608 10.41 2,047 3.23

B 1,05,679 12,510 11.84 2,868 2.71

C 21,35,640 3,48,309 16.31 1,28,776 6.03

D 9,98,672 2,14,784 21.51 69,168 6.93

(Excluding Safai
Karamcharis)

Safai Karamcharis 1,71,994 93,430 54.32 6,916 4.02

Total 33,03,457 5,82,211 17.62 2,02,859 6.14

(Excluding Safai
Karamcharis)

Total 34,75,451 6,75,641 19.44 2,09,775 6.04

(Including Safai
Karamcharis)

Note: Information in respect of five Central Ministries/Departments is not included.

Source: India 2001: A Reference Annual, Publication Division, Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting, Govt. of India, 2001.

Table 12.2: Percentage of Literacy for Different Groups of Population

During 1971-91

Population 1971 1981 1991

Group Total M F Total M F Total M F
SCs 14.7 22.36 6.4 21.38 31.12 10.93 37.41 49.91 23.76
STs 11.3 17.6 4.9 16.35 24.52 8.04 29.6 40.65 18.19
NSP 33.8 44.5 22.3 41.3 52.34 29.42 57.69 69.55 44.81
General 29.5 39.52 18.7 36.23 46.89 24.82 52.21 64.13 39.29

Notes: 1. NSP stands for non-scheduled population and general includes all the population.
2.When the percentage of literacy for the years 1971 and 1981 has been calculated by
dividing the literates by the total population, inclusive of the children in the age-group of
0-4, in 1991, the same has been calculated in exclusion of the children in the age-group
of 0-6.
Source: B.S. Bhargava and Avinash Samal Protective Discrimination and Development of Scheduled
Castes: An Alternative Model for Good Governance Indian Journal of Public Administration, Vol.
XLIV, No.3, Annual Issue, 1998.
146 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
Scheduled Tribes
The word Tribe has been used to refer
to groups belonging to forests and hill
areas and distinct from so-called
mainstream population. It was first
used by the British along with prefixes
like jungle and hill, aboriginal,
indigenous, etc., to describe the people
who seemed to have little contact with
the main culture. The common features
were described that the tribes (i) live
away from the civilised world in the
inaccessible parts lying in the forest
hills; (ii) they belong to either one of the
three stocks Negrito, Australoid or
Mongoloids; (iii) they speak the same
tribal dialect; (iv) they profess primitive
religion known as Animism in which
the worship of ghosts and spirits is the
most important element; and (v) they
follow primitive occupations such as
gleaning, hunting and gathering of
forest products; and they are
largely meat eaters.
For ages, the Tribes had little more
than a casual contact with the so-called
civilised or advanced cultures and
societies. It was during British
consolidations that a contact was
established with areas of their
habitation. They are not a homo-
geneous group. They are spread over
the various regions of India. Areas in
which they are particularly
concentrated include areas of Ladakh,
Himachal Pradesh, Northern and
Southern Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, North
East States, West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar,
Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Gujarat,
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,
Karnataka, Kerala and Union Terri-
tories of Andaman and Nicobar islands
and Lakshadweep. Majority of the tribes
depend on land and forest to make a
living. Their social life is also interwoven
around the land they live on. But per
capita land available to tribal people has
been decreasing. During the British
rule, with the opening up of means of
transport and communication, there
came infiltration by non-tribals into
tribal areas. Their land has also
increasingly been taken over by the
government for mining and
industries.
As a whole, at the time of
independence, the situation of tribal
people was both backward and
different. Their standard of living,
judged by any norms, educational
standards and physical quality of life,
was low. At the same time they have
different culture, religion, values and
traditions. Though, they were not part
of prevailing traditional caste system
but in many parts of the country they
came to be considered with contempt
as low caste people. With regard to their
development and welfare the problem
was three fold. To raise the standard of
life, to integrate them in the Indian
social-political system and at the same
time to protect their identity. You have
already read that framers of
the Constitution provided special
provisions for the welfare of Scheduled
Tribes. Similar to those for Scheduled
Castes, including reservations in
jobs, educational institutions and
legislatures.
INEQUALITY : SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes along with certain other
backward castes are socially unequal
because of discrimination and
mistreatment by upper castes or
advanced sections of population. A large
section of ST population suffers from
economic inequality due to widespread
poverty among them. Poverty, however,
covers many others also.
ECONOMIC INEQUALITY: POVERTY
You have already read that as a result
of British colonial exploitation at the
time of independence, India had
become one of the poorest countries of
the world. Not only India was a poor
country, but within this the distribution
of income and wealth tended to be too
unequal. It is not that there is no poverty
in other countries. Even in Britain and
USA there is poverty. What was
important in India at the time of
independence was that there were
unprecedented inequalities. Therefore,
poverty became a big social and
political problem. India after
independence has made some efforts
both to raise the level of income of people
and also to remove vast inequalities.
There also have been significant
achievements in bringing people out of
poverty. However, still a large
population lives in pathetic conditions
of poverty. When we talk of poverty, it
is important for us to know what
exactly we mean by poverty, what is the
extent of poverty in our society and
what are its consequences?
147
POVERTY : MEANING
In most general terms poverty is the
denial of opportunities, to lead a long,
healthy, creative life and to enjoy
a decent standard of living. In fact,
poverty is a socio-economic pheno-
menon which defies any precise
definition. Its concept and content
varies from country to country
depending upon what a particular
society accepts as a reasonable good
living standard for its people. In view of
this poverty can be considered in
absolute and relative terms:
Absolute Poverty refers to the
inability of a person or a household to
provide even the basic necessities of life.
It refers to conditions of acute physical
wants, starvation, malnutrition, want of
clothing, want of shelter, total lack of
medical care etc. Absolute poverty is
also called subsistence poverty, since
it is based on the assessment of
minimum subsistency requirement,
which is a condition to remain just alive.
Relative Poverty is a concept to
measure availability or lack of
opportunities according to standards
of life at a given time and place. It refers
to the fact that different societies have
different standards; hence, it is not
possible to have a universal
measurement of poverty. For example,
in USA a family not having two cars
might be considered poor whereas in
India family with a single car is
considered rich.
Whatever the type of poverty, it is a
fact that it generates inequalities in
148 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
social and economic powers, which in
turn affects political power. It is
therefore, necessary that for success of
democracy economic inequalities
should be minimum. In India we have
problems both of absolute and relative
poverty. But more serious is that of
absolute poverty.
POVERTY IN INDIA
It is a fact that a vast population in
India has been living below subsistence
level but the extent of poverty came to
be known only in 1960s when scholars
started measuring and studying the
problem in a serious way. To measure
poverty, the concept of poverty line has
been used. This is based on the amount
of income required for a person to
purchase a barest minimum desirable
nutritional standards of caloric intake.
It is suggested that in Indian conditions
in rural areas a person needs an
average of 2,400 calories per day and
in urban areas an intake of 2,100
calories per day. According to a study
made by Dandekar and Rath to buy
this much food in 1960 a person
required Rs 15 per month per person
in rural areas and Rs 22.50 in urban
areas. According to this criteria about
38 per cent of the rural population and
nearly 50 per cent of urban population
lived below the poverty line. The Sixth
Five - Year Plan (1980-85), whose
foremost objective was removal of
poverty, indicated that 50.7 per cent of
rural population and about 40 per cent
of the urban population was living
below the poverty in 1979-80.
Accordingly, the absolute number of
poor was 31.7 crore of which 26 crore
were residing in rural areas and 5.7
crore in urban areas.
The poverty line was later revised
upwards in terms of monetary
expenditure taking into note the rising
cost of living. Thus, in 1984-85, with
the criteria of 2,400 and 2,100 calories
of food for rural and urban areas,
poverty line was drawn at per capita
monthly expenditure of Rs 107 for rural
and Rs 122 for urban areas. On this
basis 39.9 per cent of the rural
population and 27.7 per cent of urban
population was estimated to be below
the poverty line. The proportion of total
population below the poverty line in
1984-85 was 36.9 per cent. In
1993-94, 34.3 per cent of population
or 32.0 crore people lived below poverty
line. This was based on required per
capita monthly income of Rs.205.84 in
rural and Rs 281.35 for urban areas.
According to government of India
Economic Survey 2001, and Tenth
Five - Year Plan Document 26.1 per cent
of population lived below poverty line.
This figure is contested by several
independent economists. The Human
Development Report for 2000 has
placed India at 128th among 174
poor nations with 34.6 per cent of its
population as poor.
Although, there are different
estimates of poverty by governmental
and other bodies, it is generally
accepted that there are substantial
number of people living in poverty. It is
also a fact that percentage of people
living below poverty line has been
INEQUALITY : SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC
declining but in absolute numbers, it
remains the same because of increase
in population. Hence, about 30 crore
of Indias population lives below
poverty line. The situation is worse in
areas of Bihar, Eastern Uttar Pradesh,
West Bengal, Orissa, Tamil Nadu,
Sikkim, Madhya Pradesh, Assam,
Meghalaya, Tripura and Arunachal
Pradesh where households falling
below the poverty line goes beyond
40 per cent.
POVERTY ALLEVIATION PROGRAMMES
The national leaders who took over
power at independence were aware of
the pervasiveness and depth of poverty
in India, along with associated
problems of unemployment and
underemployment and inequalities in
resources and income. But in the initial
years the problem of poverty was not
attacked directly. It is from Sixth Five-
Year Plan that a number of programmes
have been promoted as means of
carrying or lifting people over the
poverty line. Accordingly, apart from
relying on the overall higher rate of
growth of the economy, some specific
measures to alleviate poverty also have
been formulated.
These programmes fall into two
broad types. One was designed to lift
beneficiaries above the poverty line by
providing them with productive assets
or skills or both so that they can
employ themselves usefully to earn
greater incomes. The second type of
programmes were designed to be
149
ameliorative, to provide temporary wage
employment for the poor and the
landless in seasons when employment
opportunities are reduced and in areas
which are dry and drought prone where
jobs are less available even in the best
of times.
Unfortunately, most of the schemes
to alleviate poverty-stricken people have
not reached their intended targets. The
reasons for this are administrative
apathy, wide spread corruption,
inability of socially and economically
powerful sections to exert pressure on
political and administrative machinery,
lack of political will to implement most
important policies of land reform and
family planning, and incapacity
amongst poor themselves to organise
and fight for their rights. Apart from
inequalities among people, there also are
inequalities between states and regions.
We will discuss them in another chapter.
Thus, in India we still have a large
population living below poverty line.
This is in spite of the fact that
considerable development has been
achieved in agriculture, industry as well
as service sector. The benefits of
development have been appropriated
by socially and economically powerful,
upper middle and middle classes and
upper castes. The maldistribution of
assets leaves about one-third of the
population without effective means of
satisfying their basic needs. A major
portion of these economically poor are
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes. In other words, in India social
and economic inequalities are linked.
150 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
INEQUALITIES AND POLITICS
Dr B.R. Ambedkar in his final address
in the Constituent Assembly on 25
November, 1949, observed:
On the social plane, we have in India a
society based on the principles of graded
inequality which means elevation of some
and degradation of other. On the economic
plane we have a society in which there are
some who have immense wealth as against
many who live in abject poverty. On the 26th
January 1950, we are going to enter into a
life of contradictions. In politics we will have
equality and in social and economic life we
will have inequality. In politics we will be
recognising the principle of one man one vote
and one vote one value. In our social and
economic life, we shall by reason of our social
and economic structure, continue to deny
the principle of one man one value. How long
shall we continue to live this life of
contradiction? How long shall we continue
to deny equality in our social and economic
life? If we continue to deny it for long, we
will do so by putting our political democracy
in peril. We must remove this contradiction
at the earliest possible moment or else those
who suffer from inequality will blow up the
structure of political democracy.
These words of Dr Ambedkar, it
seems, our planners and policy makers
did not take seriously. Result is, ever
increasing social tensions and
aberrations in democracy. It is the vast
ocean of poverty stricken humanity,
especially in the rural areas that
constitutes the electorate. Poor,
illiterate, with a sense of belonging only
to the caste or community and with no
access to proper communication, this
enormous human wave is driven to the
polling station. They can affect the
course of change. During various
elections they have proved that their
voting act is not isolated from the socio-
economic setting. Since, they are in
majority, properly organised and
mobilised they can radically alter the
election results. Therefore, the vested
interests have to manipulate the
elections to negate their democratic
outcome. The crude ways for that
are to increase the role of money
and muscle power, to whip up
communalism and casteism and use
violence in elections. The ruling classes,
in their own interests encourage
religiosity, fundamentalism and
obscurantism. If social and economic
inequalities are not reduced, social
tensions and political violence are likely
to increase.
India inherited a society full of
inequalities, both social and economic.
Caste has been a great factor in
creating and maintaining both social
and economic inequality. Nature of
property, relations and mechanisms of
production introduced and developed
by British colonial administration
increased these inequalities as also
produced new types of inequalities.
Independent India adopted a
democratic system to change this.
There was a Constitution with plenty
of promises. A process of planned
development was initiated.
It seems that although consti-
tutional provisions and legal texts exist
to abolish untouchability and to
protect the members of the Scheduled
Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and
although social and educational
policies have been adopted to improve
the situation of SCs and STs and to
INEQUALITY : SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC 151

protect them from abuses, widespread
discrimination against them and the
relative impunity of those who abuse
them continues. Similarly, in spite of
Ninth Five-Year Plans having been
completed and various schemes to
alleviate poverty been launched and
implemented, about one third of
population lives below poverty line, that
is having not enough to eat two times a
day. There are many others who do not
have access to required hygiene, health
care, education, housing and clothing,
etc. In addition, gaps between rich and
poor are increasing. At the same time
introduction of democracy, and
elections and flow of information world
over has brought awareness among the
deprived and the poor. They tend to use
their voting power for their
amelioration. The unresponsiveness of
the economic system to the basic needs
of the poor makes them desperate and
drives them to blind opposition of the
system. They are attracted by
fundamentalist, communalist and
terrorist groups. Both Social and
Economic inequality thus are a great
threat to the survival of democracy,
stability of the system and unity and
integrity of the country. These need to
be tackled on priority basis and in all
seriousness. Development should not
be seen as mere increase in national
income or production. It has to be seen
in the fulfilment of at least minimum
needs of all and creating a just
social order.

EXERCISES

1. What do you understand by the terms Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes?
2. Explain the Constitutional provisions provided to ensure equality to Scheduled
Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
3. Describe the extent of Poverty in India. What programmes have been undertaken
to alleviate poverty?
4. Write short notes on the following:
(i) Poverty line;
(ii) Preferential treatment;
(iii) Democracy and Equality;
(iv) Inequalities and Polities.
152 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
CHAPTER 13
I MPORTANCE of education, both for
success of democracy and
development of society and country,
has been stressed by experts and
scholars for centuries. Education
exercises a decisive influence on social
and economic development. It not only
enhances the productive capacity of the
individual but also plays a crucial role
in ensuring a fair and equitable
distribution of wealth generated
in the country. It also helps in
producing an enlightened citizenry,
vital for the success of democratic
polity. It is also a potent force for
national reconstruction and cultural
rejuvenation of the country. Human
Development Reports of recent years
have clearly pointed out that education
is an investment for development. If
human development is about
expanding peoples choices to lead the
lives they value, then education surely
has to be an integral part of it. India
has a long tradition of organised
education. Historians suggest that
there is no other country where the love
of learning had so early an origin or has
exercised so lasting and powerful an
influence. But, as is well known that
during colonial rule hardly any effort
Education and Illiteracy
was made for educating the masses.
Limited educational facilities were
created to produce English language
knowing subordinates for colonial
administration. Hence, at the time of
independence number of literates in
India was small, it was about 6 crore
that is only about 18 per cent of the
total population. More than 30 crore
persons were illiterate. Within literates
most belonged to upper castes, middle
classes and from cities. Almost entire
population of Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes and most women and
rural people belonged to the category
of illiterates. Male literacy rate was
27.16 per cent and female literacy was
8.86 per cent. Thus, at the time of
independence, India inherited a system
of education which was not only
quantitatively small but also
characterised by the persistence of intra
and inter-regional as well as structural
imbalances.
After the attainment of inde-
pendence the national government in
India did embark on a programme of
providing elementary education to its
teeming millions. As a result the literacy
rate in 2001 census has reached
65.38 per cent. The male literacy rate
EDUCATION AND ILLITERACY
is about 76 per cent and that of females
is about 54 per cent. While in
comparison to 1947 this seems to be a
big achievement, but in terms of
promises, needs and expectations
much more is required. In 2001, out
of 83.88 crore of people in the over
seven year age group 26.84 crore were
illiterate and 3.8 crore children were out
of schools. This is the highest number
of illiterates in any single country in the
world. Of course reason for this is India
being second highest populated
country. Yet it is a matter of concern.
While the world is talking of 10-12 years
of education for all, India continues to
struggle with five years of primary
schooling. To understand that we can
have a look at the efforts made for
attaining universal literacy and
problems we face.
TOWARDS LITERACY
The importance and necessity of
education for democracy, development
and human dignity was appreciated by
the framers of the Constitution
themselves. Hence, through Article 45
in chapter on the Directive Principles
they embarked upon the State that it
shall endeavor to provide, within a
period of one decade from the
commencement of the Constitution, for
free and compulsory education for all
until they complete the age of fourteen
years. So it was expected that by 1960
all children between the age of six and
fourteen years will be in schools. The
question was not merely of bringing
children to school but making adults
153
also literate, because, as the document
on Challenges of Education-1985,
mentioned, if adequate measures are
not taken for the spread of education,
the chasm of economic disabilities,
regional imbalances and social injustice
will widen further resulting in building
up disintegrative tendencies.
In spite of pivotal importance of
education for social and economic
development and poor state of literacy
at the time of independence, in the initial
years of planning the required
seriousness was not shown towards
elementary education and spread of
literacy. While elimination of illiteracy
was expressed as one of the major
concerns of the government, resources
were allocated more for higher education
than to primary education. Hence, in
the early years not much progress could
be made in the direction of achieving
higher rates of literacy. As can be seen
from Table 13.1, literacy rate increased
to 28.30 per cent in 1961, 34.45 per
cent in 1971 and 43.57 per cent in
1981. In other words even after more
than 30 years of independence literacy
rate was not 50 per cent. Kothari
Commission on Education (1964-66)
which studied the problems of education
in India traced the causes for failure to
achieve universalisation of education to
lack of adequate resources, tremendous
increase in population, resistance to
education of girls, general poverty of
the people and illiteracy and apathy
of parents.
Many education experts do not
agree with these causes in totality.
According to them various studies have
154 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

shown that an overwhelming majority The proportion of expenditure on

of parents, even among deprived
sections, attach great importance to
their childrens education. It has also
been found that economic dependence
on child labour is not the main reason
for poor families inability to send their
children to school. They find the faults
in lack of resources and wrong
priorities. It is pointed out that in the
first 25 years of independence the
number of universities grew more than
Table 13.1: All India Literacy Rates (in per cent)
higher education rose very
substantially in the Second Five-Year
Plan of the late 1950s and remained
high throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
The reasons for this imbalance
between primary and higher education
are attributed to the development plans
as in most other cases, favourable
towards urban areas, middle and
upper middle classes and upper castes
because of the pressure these groups

Year Male Female Total

1901 9.8 0.6 5.3

1911 10.6 1.1 5.9

1921 12.2 1.8 7.2

1931 15.6 2.9 9.5

1941 24.9 7.3 16.1

1951 27.2 8.9 18.33

1961 40.4 15.4 28.30

1971 46.0 22.0 34.45

1981 56.38 29.76 43.57

1991 64.13 39.29 52.21

2001 75.85 54.16 65.38

Source: JBG Tilak and MV Vergese, Financing of Education in India (Paris, UNESCO, 1991).

four times, then doubled itself in the
next 25 years. As Table 13.2 shows,
the annual growth rate of enrolment in
higher education outpaced the rate at
which elementary education was
growing. This was true of institutional
expansion too, especially in the 1960s.
had been able to exert on the
government. J.P. Naik, Member
Secretary of the Education Commission
in India wrote in 1965, the largest
beneficiaries of our system of education
are boys, the people of urban areas, and
the middle and the upper classes:
EDUCATION AND ILLITERACY 155

Table 13.2 : Growth of Education (average annual growth rate in per cent)

Primary Middle Secondary Higher

Enrolment

1951-61 6.2 8.0 9.2 9.8

1961-71 5.0 7.1 8.6 12.6

1971-81 2.6 4.5 5.0 5.6

1981-89 3.3 5.1 6.9 5.5

Institutions

1951-61 4.7 13.8 9.0 10.0

1961-71 2.1 6.2 7.8 12.5

1971-81 1.9 2.7 3.3 2.3

1981-89 1.3 2.5 4.6 1.5

Source: JBG Tilak and MV Vergese, Financing of Education in India (Paris, UNESCO, 1991).

Educational development, particularly was due to Growth in population

at the secondary and higher stages, is
benefiting the haves more than the
have-nots.
NEW PERSPECTIVE: NATIONAL
POLICY ON EDUCATION 1986
From the above it becomes clear that
while the framers of the Constitution
and planners appreciated the need for
a literate population and universal
education for all children, at least in the
age-group of 6-14, the achievements in
first thirty years of independence were
not satisfactory. In absolute numbers
as against a total of 30.1 crore illiterates
in 1951, India had 42.5 crore illiterates
in 1981 an increase of 12.4 crore
during 30 years (increase in number
though in percentage terms there was
decrease). If this trend was to continue,
by A.D.2000 India would have had 50
crore illiterates. In the middle of 1980s
there came a realisation of this sorry
state of affairs. By this time it was also
becoming clear that world was moving
very fast in science and technology
developments. The country was facing
both internal and external challenges
of development. And it was clear that
the education is the most effective
instrument to meet these challenges. In
view of these in 1985 a review of the
prevailing education system was made.
Based on this review presented in the
document Challenge of Education
a Policy Perspective in 1986, the
National Policy on Education was
156 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
formulated and got approved by
Parliament. This came to be popularly
known as New Education Policy. There
was also brought out a Programme of
Action. The National Policy on
Education 1986 was revised in 1992
and also a new Programme of Action
brought in. National Policy on
Education (NPE) 1986 and the
Programme of Action (POA) 1992
envisage that free and compulsory
education of satisfactory quality should
be provided to all children up to the age
of 14 years before the commencement
of the twenty-first century. As per the
commitment of the government, about
six per cent of the Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) would be earmarked for
Education sector by the year 2000 AD
and 50 per cent of the outlay will be
spent on Primary Education. The NPE
reiterated that The new thrust in
elementary education will emphasise
two aspects: (i) Universal enrolment and
retention of children up to 14 years of
age: and (ii) a substantial improvement
in the quality of education. The NPE
suggested that it shall be ensured that
all children who attain the age of about
11 years by 1990 will have had five
years of schooling, or its equivalent
through the non-formal stream.
Likewise, by 1995 all children will be
provided free and compulsory
education up to 14 years of age. The
NPE also took note of socio-cultural
inequalities in a significant way and
listed specific steps not only for equality
of access to education but also for
equalisation with regard to the status
of disadvantaged sections of society. It
laid down that educational
transformation, reduction of disparities,
universalisation of elementary
education, adult education and
scientific and technological research
would be accepted as national
responsibilities for which the provision
of adequate resource support will be the
concern not only of the State
governments, but of all the agencies
which are collectively responsible for
national development.
To attain the goals and ideals of
universal elementary education and
those set in the New Education Policy,
various measures had been taken and
programmes and schemes launched.
Important of these are as given below.
ALLOCATION OF FUNDS
To fulfil the commitment of augmenting
resources for education, the allocation
of funds for education, has over the
years increased significantly. Plan
outlay on education increased from 153
crore in the First Five- Year Plan to
Rs 19,600 crore in Eighth Five-Year
Plan and to Rs 20,381.64 crore in Ninth
Five -Year Plan. The expenditure on
Education as a percentage of GDP also
rose from 0.7 per cent in 1951-52 to
3.6 per cent in 1997-98. The outlay
on elementary education was 64.6
per cent of the total central sector plan
outlay in 1999-2000. There is as such
a significant increase in expenditure on
education, though it still is below the
targeted 6 per cent of GDP. The March
2002 budget allotted 3.8 per cent of
GDP to education.
EDUCATION AND ILLITERACY
UNIVERSALISING ELEMENTARY
EDUCATION
As a result of the Eighth Five-Year Plan
more than 95 per cent of countrys rural
population have primary schools within
one km and about 85 per cent have
upper primary schools within three km.
As a result (i) enrolment of children of
6-14 years of age in primary and upper
primary schools has gone up steadily
to 87 and 50 per cent respectively;
(ii) significant improvements have taken
place in enrolment of girls and SCs/STs;
and (iii) number of primary and upper
primary schools have gone up from
2.23 lac in 1950-51 to 7.75 lac
in 1996-97.
In addition to increase in allocation
of funds and opening of schools, there
have been launched schemes like
District Primary Education Programme
(DPEP) initiative; National Programme
of Nutritional Support to Primary
Education (Mid-Day Meal Scheme);
Operation Blackboard, National
Literacy Mission etc. The District
Primary Education Programme
was launched in 1994 as a major
initiative to achieve the objective of
universalisation of primary education.
It aims at providing access to primary
education for all children, reducing
primary dropout rates to less than 10
per cent, increasing learning
achievement of primary school students
by 25 per cent, and reducing the gender
and social gap to less than five per cent.
The Mid-Day Meal Scheme was
started on 15 August 1995. It is aimed
at improving enrolment, attendance
157
and retention while simultaneously
impacting on the nutrition status
of students in primary classes.
The programme envisages provision
of cooked meals/processed food
for children studying in Classes I-V
in all government, local body and
government aided primary schools.
The Operation Blackboard Scheme
was launched in 1987-88 with a view
to bringing about substantial
improvement in primary schools. The
scheme has three components: (i)
provision of at least two all-weather
rooms; (ii) provision of at least two
teachers, one of them preferably
woman; (iii) provision of essential
teaching and learning material
including blackboards, maps, charts,
a small library, toys, etc.
NON-FORMAL EDUCATION
Studies and reports have shown that a
number of children, even if willing,
cannot go to schools for various
reasons and compulsions. The reasons
may be non-availability of schools near
residence, children engaged in work,
assisting in performing domestic chores
like fetching water, fuel, fodder or
attending to siblings, children dropped
out from schools at one stage, girls
unable to attend schools due to
social conditions, etc. For providing
elementary education to such children
the government of India, Department of
Education has started from 1979-80
programme of non-formal education.
Under this scheme Non-Formal
Education Centers are run by voluntary
158 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
agencies. Evening Schools are opened,
children are engaged in studying by
other means also.
ADULT EDUCATION
The National Policy of Education also
envisages that illiteracy should be
eradicated at all levels particularly in
the 15-35 age group. The Programme
of Action stipulated that about 8 crore
adult illiterates in the age group 15-35
would be taught. Later the programme
aimed to impart functional literacy to
10 crore adult illiterates by 1997. To
achieve these targets, the major
strategies include reorganisation and
strengthening of the existing schemes
of adult education, launching of mass
programmes of functional literacy,
organisation of various programmes of
continuing education, strengthening
technical resource system, etc. for
eradication of illiteracy.
NATIONAL LITERACY MISSION
Realising that the eradication of
illiteracy from a vast country like India
is beset with several social and
economic hurdles, a National Literacy
Mission was set up on 5 May 1988, to
impart a new sense of urgency and
seriousness to adult education. After
the success of the area specific, time
bound, voluntary based campaign
approach first in Kottayam city and
then in Ernakulum district in Kerala in
1990, the National Literacy Mission had
accepted the literacy campaigns as the
dominant strategy for eradication of
illiteracy.
During the last ten years 574
districts out of 597 districts in the
country have already been covered by
the literacy campaigns. The creditable
performance of the National Literacy
Mission received international
recognition when it was awarded the
UNESCO Noma Literacy Prize for 1999.
The National Literacy Mission was
revitalised with the approval of the
Union government on 30 September,
1999. The Missions goal is to attain
total literacy by 2005. The Mission
seeks to achieve this by imparting
functional literacy to non-literates in the
15-35 age group. The focus of the
campaign now is on the four major
Hindi speaking and literacy backward
States of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh,
Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Some
States like Kerala and Mizoram have
made significant progress in achieving
literacy rates. According to 2001
census it is 90.92 per cent in Kerala
and 88.49 per cent in Mizoram whereas
in Bihar it is 47.53 per cent and
Jharkhand 54.33 per cent. As already
mentioned, percentage of the literacy in
the country as a whole is 65.38. A
special programme for women was
launched in 1989. It is called Mahila
Samakhya (education for womens
Quality). The programme aims at
creating an environment for women to
seek knowledge and information with
a view to bringing about a change in
their perception about themselves and
that of the society. It is being
implemented in about 6,877 villages in
51 districts of eight States namely Uttar
Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra
EDUCATION AND ILLITERACY
Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Madhya
Pradesh and Kerala.
ACHIEVEMENTS
The above mentioned schemes and
programmes have brought some
improvements in the literacy situation
of India. Particularly during the decade
1991-2001 performance has been
significant. As already mentioned the
literacy rate has risen to 65.38 per cent.
75.85 for males and 54.16 for females.
The female literacy rate has increased
by about 10 percentage points during
1981-91 but by almost 15 percentage
points during 1991-2001. The most
outstanding increases in female literacy
rates during 1991-2001 have been
recorded in Backward States:
Chhatisgarh from 27.5 per cent to 52.4
per cent, Rajasthan from 20.4 to 44.3
per cent, Madhya Pradesh from 29.4
to 50.3 per cent, and Orissa from 34.7
to 51 per cent. It can therefore be said
that the literacy campaigns have
definitely achieved success in large
scale through community and social
mobilisation, increasing school
enrolment, enhancing awareness on
issues of social and gender equity. At
the same time it is true that as yet we
are quite behind the targets we
have fixed.
The Constitution envisaged free and
compulsory education for children
between 6-14 age-group by 1961.
This goal has been getting postponed
again and again. Even NEP postponed
it to 1995. At the World Conference on
Education for all held in Thailand in
159
1990, India along with 155 other
countries committed itself to universal
primary education and halve the adult
illiteracy rate by 2000. But in 2001 we
had about 26 crore illiterates that is
more than 30 per cent of above 7 years
of age are as yet illiterate. Added to this
is also a fact that majority are those who
are enrolled in schools are not getting
quality education. For success
of democracy and development
universalisation of elementary
education not only means universal
facilities, universal enrolment and
universal retention, but also universal
quality of teaching and learning.
Education is one of the most
important prerequisites not only for
successful working of a democratic
system but also to achieve the goals of
personal, social, political and cultural
development. In any welfare state,
provision of elementary education to all
is a must.
This goal of universal elementary
education means universal provision of
facilities, universal enrolment and
universal retention. Universal provision
of facilities, however, may not
necessarily ensure universal enrolment
and universal enrolment may not
guarantee universal retention. What is
therefore important is policies and
programmes to take care of all these
aspects. Framers of the Constitution
embarked upon the government to
work to attain these goals in the nearest
possible time. Indias literacy rate has
increased from 18.33 per cent at the
time of independence to 65.38 per cent
in 2001. This is not a mean
160 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

achievement. But it cannot be political activities. Literacy is not merely

overlooked that in spite of all
commitments we have entered twenty-
first century with about 26 crore people
illiterate. Worlds largest population (in
terms of numbers) lives in India.
Illiteracy is also linked with poverty and
social backwardness. That means a
large section of people belonging to
Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes
and of course poor are illiterate.
Illiteracy keeps these people not only
economically backward but also
socially and politically unaware.
Accordingly, these people remain
available for exploitation by caste,
community and such traditional
sentiments in elections and other socio-
mastering the art of reading and
writing. It gives people self-confidence
and strength. It empowers people with
skills for productive work and above all
a capacity to make decisions which is
one of the most important requirement
for a meaningful participatory
democracy. Therefore, it is important
that all out efforts are made to achieve
universalisation of education without
any further loss of time. For that it is
required that adequate allocation of
resources, assurance that these
resources reach their destination,
participation of community, a dedicated
administration, and above all social
awareness be assured.

EXERCISES

1. Explain the importance of education for democracy. What was the status of
literacy in India at the time of independence ?
2. What do you understand by Universalisation of Elementary Education? Mention
any five programmes started in India in this regard.
3. Write short notes on the following :
(i) New Education Policy;
(ii) Non-Formal Education;
(iii) National Literacy Mission;
(iv) Adult Education.

CHAPTER 14
Regional Imbalances: Regionalism,
Linguism and Separatism
I NDIA is a vast plural country, full of
diversities of religions, castes,
languages, tribes, cultures, etc. A
number of cultural and linguistic
groups are concentrated in certain
territorial segments, to which they are
attached, emotionally and historically.
As has been said that during colonial
rule the administration was interested
in economic exploitation of the country
and not in its development; it
encouraged various divisions based on
religion, region, caste and language and
did not pursue any plan or strategy for
a balanced development of the country.
These resulted in regional imbalances,
and group identities. Subsequently, the
independent India saw the rise of
regionalism, linguism, separatism, etc.
In this chapter we will read about the
background, causes and nature of
these phenomena and possible ways
out to check them. All these are related
and interconnected.
THE REGION
A region is a territory, the inhabitants
of which have an emotional attachment
161
to it because of commonality of religion,
language, usages and customs, socio-
economic and political stages of
development, common historical
traditions, a common way of living, etc.
Any one or more of these, and above all
widely prevalent sentiments of
togetherness, strengthen the bond. This
territory can coincide with the
boundaries of a State, parts of State or
even with more than one State. A sense
of discrimination or competition on
economic, political or cultural grounds,
desire for justice or favour gives rise to
regionalism. Depending on reasons,
and related nature, regionalism can be
manifested in many ways like demand
for autonomy or powers for State,
creation of new State, protection of
language or culture of the region or
separation from the country.
REGIONAL DISPARITIES
By regional disparities or imbalances
is meant wide differences in per capita
income, literacy rates, availability of
health and education services, levels of
industrialisation, etc. between different
162 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
regions. As already mentioned, these
regions may be either states or regions
within a State. In this regard in India
there are enormous imbalances on
various accounts. The exploitative
nature of British colonial rule either
created or accentuated regional
disparities. The planning in
independent India has also not been
able to remove these.
COLONIAL LEGACY
As is well known, the British colonial
administration was primarily interested
in selling their products in Indian
markets and taking away raw materials
from here. In some cases they were also
interested in establishing some
industries to invest their surplus capital
and use cheap labour. Keeping these
needs in view, they introduced
Zamindari system in some regions to
get maximum land revenue. In some
regions they favoured peasant
proprietary system and improvement of
agriculture to create markets for their
products. As such, in agriculture there
came up significant variations both in
production relations and level of
production in different states and regions.
The pattern of urbanisation was
based on the strategy of exporting
primary products and importing
finished goods. This laid the foundation
for the emergence of port towns as the
major centers of urban-industrial
activities. Therefore, the growth of trade
and commerce in colonial India meant
the creation of jobs and educational
opportunities at coastal centers like
Bombay, Calcutta and Madras and
some princely states capitals. This also
led to the emergence of some consumer
industries in these enclaves and hence
to the development of a merchant
capitalist class. This gave these regions
a head start over others where the vast
tracts of agriculture had lost their
traditional handicrafts and other small
scale non-agricultural activities in the
face of competition from the high
technology associated with the modern
processes of industrialisation.
Another factor in the uneven
regional development was the growth
of the education system. The British
imperialists had linked India to Europe
via trade relations and the coastal areas
especially around the ports of Bombay,
Calcutta and Madras. To man the
establishments in these areas modern
education was introduced. An
educated professional class, mainly
lower paid government and commercial
clerks, grew up in these areas. These
regions also threw up an elite group of
lawyers and other professionals who
were involved on both sides of the
independence movement.
On the eve of independence inter-
state and inter-district disparities were
quite sharp and widening. There
were differences in the levels of
per capita income and consumption,
literacy, medical and health
facilities, natural resources, population
growth, infrastructure development,
employment opportunities etc.
The independent India, thus, was
burdened with the task of removing
these disparities.
REGIONAL IMBALANCES : REGIONALISM, LINGUISM AND SEPARATISM
REGIONAL POLICY IN
INDEPENDENT INDIA
The need for the removal of regional
disparities was well recognised by the
leaders of the independent India. The
Constitution of India, has made it
mandatory for the government at the
Centre to appoint a Finance
Commission once at least in every five
years. It was to examine the problems
arising out of the gaps between the
needs for expenditure and the
availability of revenue and other such
matters. Accordingly, the balanced
regional development had become the
declared goal of the Central government
and of its two principal agencies the
Planning Commission and the Finance
Commission. One of the objectives of
planning was to restore the balance
between various areas and regions.
However, these institutions were to
work within overall socio-economic
infrastructure of the country and the
developing political process. As has
already been mentioned that because
of the strategic position of the ruling
class and adopted model of
development right from the beginning,
the development has been drifting away
from the desired goals. Moreover, to
begin with planning was primarily
restricted to the national level. Hardly
any attention was paid to the problem
of regional disparities and the few
measures that were taken, were adopted
to deal with specific problems faced by
certain areas having natural calamities.
Thus, the problem of regional
development in a national context did
163
not get adequate attention of the policy
makers. Some of the already developed
regions enjoyed the privilege to develop
further at the cost of the backward
regions which continued to stagnate.
The Third Five-Year Plan devoted
some attention to the problem of
regional disparities. Some efforts were
made to identify the backward regions.
Fourth plan onward, planners have
increasingly emphasised this objective.
Deliberate policy measures are being
taken to improve the levels of living of
the people in regions identified as
backward. However, in practice, in spite
of the increasing awareness of these
aspects, very little has been achieved.
While industrially backward
regions have been identified by Indias
Planning Commission, no such attempt
has yet been made as regards regions
which can be deemed to be backward
from the point of view of overall
economic development. Actually, the
main focus of regional policy during the
Indian plans has been on the dispersal
of industry among the different regions
of India.
But, in spite of various attempts for
industrialisation, agriculture continues
to be the most important economic
activity from the point of view of output
and employment in most of the States
in India. And within the agricultural
sector, because of emphasis on
immediate increase in production,
inter-state disparities in per capita
agricultural production have been on
the increase. It is well known that in
agricultural development policy, the
green revolution and its impact has
164 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
been confined to relatively small areas.
Thus, the disparities in socio-economic
conditions of the people have been
increasing both within and between
different regions of the country.
REGIONAL IMBALANCES
AND REGIONALISM
Existence and continuation of regional
inequalities both among States and
within States create the feeling
of neglect, deprivation and of
discrimination. In a country which is
multi ethnic and multi religious, with
groups concentrated in states or
regions, these disparities also become
cause of social conflicts leading to
political and administrative problems.
In any case regional imbalances are a
major cause of regionalism in India in
many ways. The movements for creation
of separate States in Jharkhand area
of Bihar and West Bengal, Uttaranchal
and Chattisgarh in Uttar Pradesh and
Madhya Pradesh were because of
underdevelopment of these regions in
those States and a feeling of deprivation
and exploitation among people. Finally,
these areas were constituted as separate
States in 2001. Similar movements are
going on in Telengana region of
Andhra Pradesh, Vidarbha region of
Maharashtra, Darjeeling region of West
Bengal and in some other regions.
Apart from sense of deprivation in
the neglected States or regions there
also are grievances due to sectoral
imbalances in States like lack of
industrial development along with
agricultural development. Because of
this, on the one hand there have
developed interests, particularly in
rural areas of developed States, and on
the other sectoral conflicts. Both these
are encouraging regionalism in
developed States. For example, in areas
where Green Revolution was
introduced and has been successful, the
new rich farmers class has become
economically and politically important.
They are now interested in perpetuating
the concessions and facilities which
were given to them. In spite of
agriculture having become quite
profitable they want subsidies to
continue and income not to be
taxed. These rich farmers in such
States provide major social basis
of regional parties.
Another aspect of imbalanced
development is that because of
development only in limited areas, the
work force from other States and areas,
keep on flocking to the developed areas
in search of job and employment.
Continuous large scale arrival of
industrial labour from South India and
other parts to Bombay, from Bihar and
Orissa to Calcutta and agricultural
labour from eastern UP and Bihar to
Punjab, for example, are creating two
types of tensions. First, it affects the
cultural harmony of those areas by
creating apprehensions among the
linguistic and cultural groups about
their position. Second, it generates ill
feeling in the local work force, who
either are unable to get jobs or in view
of migratory labours willingness to
work at lower rates become unable to
bargain effectively with the local
REGIONAL IMBALANCES : REGIONALISM, LINGUISM AND SEPARATISM
employees. This gives birth to the
sectional organisations and sons of
the soil agitations.
Similarly expansion of education,
particularly higher education, but not
industrialisation and other job-
creating institutions is increasing the
army of educated unemployed youths
in the backward regions. These
frustrated young men are allured by
the movements against the inflow of
people from other countries and
States. One of the basic reasons
behind Assam agitation is this.
Similar developments are simmering
up in parts of Bihar and Orissa.
Besides, these unemployed youths
are also attracted by the caste,
communal and other sectional
agitations fighting for the protection
of rights on sectarian lines. Conflicts
on caste lines, particularly for
reservation of jobs in Bihar and
Gujarat, growth of caste and sub-caste
associations in towns and cities and
continuous increase in communal
conflicts, in spite of modernisation
and expansion of education are, to an
extent, due to this reason.
These regional imbalances are
hindrances to national economy and
a national politics to a great extent. It
creates different levels and patterns of
politics and gives rise to inter-state,
inter -r egion and center -state
disputes. In certain cases, it coincides
with communal and cultural
differences, thereby accentuating
such conflicts. One of the most
important aspects of regionalism in
this context is Linguism.
165
LINGUISM
Language is the most important
means of human interaction and an
instrument by which a whole
community is organised. In a
multi lingual country like India there
are two problems associated with
language. First, a common language
seems to be the essential ingredient
of national life. Second, language
being the most faithful reflection of
culture of an ethnic group, linguistic
groups are concerned about
protection and promotion of their
languages. The central problem, thus,
is how to evolve a common national
life in the diverse languages and
cultures.
In the colonial era English was the
common language. It was the sole
medium of intercommunication
among the elitist sections of the
different linguistic communities. It
was used in the administration,
adjudication and education both at
the central and provincial levels. This
of course meant that masses were
kept out from administrative, political
and economic opportunities what-
soever were available. Therefore, while
the British language policy served the
needs of the colonial rulers, it could
not serve the purpose of an
independent nation with democratic
institutions. Apart from the
sentimental issue of injuring the
national pride, the use of English
widened the gap between the
educated elite and the people, the
ruler and the ruled. As a result, the
166 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
wide segment of the population
remain detached, passive and
alienated from the political process and
economic programmes of the country.
In view of the above, language issue
had started emerging as a significant
one during struggle for freedom itself.
The issues being raised were primarily
three; (i) the official language of India
after independence; (ii) creation of
linguistic States whose boundaries
during British rule did not conform to
linguistic divisions; and (iii) the status
of regional languages.
THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
With regard to declaration of official
language there were very strong
opinions in the Constituent Assembly.
A section vehemently argued for
recognising Hindi as the official
language. But the representatives from
the non-Hindi areas opposed this
demand on the ground that accepting
Hindi as the official language would
result in the dominance and influence
of the Hindi region over the whole of
India. In case of competitive
government jobs, Hindi speaking
people would naturally gain added
advantage. They also felt if Hindi was
accepted as the official language,
communication in the international
arena would become difficult.
The supporters of Hindi rejected all
these arguments and emphasised
that as the Hindi-speaking people
constituted the largest language group
(about 40 per cent) in India, the claim
of Hindi as the official language was
quite natural. They felt, if a foreign
language like English was accepted as
the official language, it would not be
possible to keep a close touch between
the government and the people. Finally,
the Constituent Assembly came out
with a compromise formula. The
Constitution declared Hindi to be the
official language. It, however, also
provided for the continued use of
English for all official purposes of the
Union for a period of fifteen years.
Further, the Constitution provided that
the legislature of a State by law might
adopt any one or more of the languages
in use in the State or Hindi as the
language / languages to be used for
all or any of the official purposes of
that State.
While the Constitution provided
for the use of English as official
language for the Union government
for fifteen years, the Official Language
Commission appointed in 1955
reported strongly in favour of replacing
English by Hindi. With this
recommendation, the long standing
discontent and fears of non-
Hindi speaking people burst forth.
Southern critics bitterly opposed
the recommendations. There were
widespread demonstrations. The
government once again came out with
a compromise. That is, the formal
change over to Hindi would take place
in 1965 (that is in fifteen years after the
adoption of the Constitution) and
English might not be used as an official
language there after. In April 1963, the
Official Language Bill was formally
introduced in the Parliament. The
REGIONAL IMBALANCES : REGIONALISM, LINGUISM AND SEPARATISM
introduction of the bill generated heated
debate and witnessed some of the
rowdiest scenes in the history of
Parliament. Promoters of Hindi
demanded immediate implementation
of the constitutional provisions of
official language and MPs from non-
Hindi regions particularly from the
South and West Bengal argued strongly
for the retention of English. The bill
allowed the continued use of English
for official purposes without any time
limit; and at the same time, it stipulated
that acceptance of Hindi as the official
language is to be reviewed in 1975. The
non-Hindi speakers were assured that
Hindi would not be imposed on them
without their consent.
During these conflicting years, in
order to satisfy the conflicting claims of
various language groups and to
promote national integration and inter-
state communication, a Three
Language Formula was evolved in
education. It required that schools
throughout the country would teach
their own regional language, English
and either Hindi in non-Hindi speaking
areas or a language other than Hindi
in the Hindi-speaking areas. In
practice, this formula has been used as
a mockery. For example, in most
schools in Hindi speaking areas other
than Hindi, language taught is
Sanskrit.
After Jawaharlal Nehrus death in
1964 the situation once again
deteriorated. Home Minister Gulzarilal
Nanda, a strong proponent of Hindi,
issued a directive to all Ministries to
167
report on the progress made in
promoting the use of Hindi for official
purposes. This evoked intensified
protests and agitations in the non-Hindi
speaking States, particularly in Tamil
Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and West
Bengal. They demanded staturisation
of Nehrus assurances. In view of
widespread and violent protests, the
Parliament in 1967, amended the
Official Language Bill. It provided that
English shall continue to be used for
all official purposes for which it was
being hitherto used till all the non-Hindi
States agreed, by a resolution of the
State Legislatures to switch over
to Hindi.
In 1977 when Janata government
came to power, the then Prime Minister
Morarji Desai made it clear that Hindi
would not be imposed on the non-Hindi
speaking areas. But he also said that
there was the need to develop a link
language and common script to
strengthen the cultural unity of India.
This was taken as a hint favouring
Hindi and was opposed. During the
Prime Ministership of Rajiv Gandhi the
Central government in September
1986, issued a circular for its
employees asking them to use Hindi in
their official correspondence and
documents. Again, there were strong
resentments against the circular in
Tamil Nadu and many other States.
It is thus, quite clear that
introduction of Hindi as Indias sole
official language has received negative
responses and strong opposition from
non-Hindi speaking areas, especially
the Southern States. As a result
168 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
language in education, language
in administration, language in
communication, etc. have become
major issues. Services and jobs under
the government are linked with these.
Any feeling that owing to adoption of
the mother tongue of one section of the
people as official language, chances of
those citizens whose mother tongue is
different and who are not equally
proficient in that language, would be
detrimentally affected gives rise to
frustration and resistance. It was these
fears that also gave rise to the demand
of creation of linguistic States during
freedom struggle itself.
LINGUISTIC STATES
A number of linguistic groups
concentrated in fixed territories had a
feeling that if that territory was a State
it would be an effective way to protect
and promote their language and
culture as also to have better chances
in economic activities with their
language as the official language of that
State. During British rule provinces
were created not by any rational or
democratic considerations but by the
military, political or administrative
conveniences of the time. Along with
the growth of national movement there
also was growing cultural and linguistic
consciousness and therefore, a demand
for adopting linguistic principles for
constituting provinces or states. The
introduction of provincial autonomy
and the institution of quasi-responsible
government at the provincial level under
Acts of 1909 and 1919 created a strong
ground for linguistic provinces.
Congress in its Nagpur Session of 1920
recognised the provinces along
linguistic line in order to stimulate
the movement.
After independence, to begin with,
States were not organised on the basis
of language. This was not acceptable
to most linguistic groups. Hence, there
started agitations. In 1952 there was a
major movement in the Andhra region
of the then Madras Province for creation
of a Telugu speaking state. During this
agitation death of a respected
leader Poti Sriramulu forced the
government to concede the demand
and the State of Andhra was
created. Simultaneously, a States
Reorganisation Commission (SRC) was
also appointed to study the demand for
organising States on language basis.
The Commission in its report,
submitted in 1955, felt that in multi
lingual States political leadership
and administrative authority
remained the monopoly of the dominant
language group. Linguistic minorities
were denied an effective voice in
the governance of their States.
Commission, therefore, recommended
the principle of linguistic homogeneity
for reorganisation of States.
The Central government, realising
the depth of public sentiment on the
issue, accepted the recommendations
of SRC and in 1956 reorganised most
of the States on language basis. In
1960 bilingual Bombay was bifurcated
into unilingual Maharashtra and
Gujarat. In 1966 Punjab was divided
into Punjab and Haryana.
REGIONAL IMBALANCES : REGIONALISM, LINGUISM AND SEPARATISM
In spite of these divisions, in every
State were left a large number of people
whose mother tongue was different from
the language of the majority group.
This was unavoidable. But in general
in the whole process of reorganisation
of States there was desire for the
reconciliation of diversities in the main
national theme. There was satisfaction
among various cultural-linguistic
groups. But as already explained, in
the absence of removal of regional
disparities in economic development,
linguistic States provided an easy base
for regionalism. At the same time issue
of official language, as discussed above,
also created tensions in Centre-State
relations.
Thus, a combination of regional
imbalances, lack of clear language
policy, desire of politicians to use
public sentiment to create vote banks,
concentration of cultural-linguistic and
religious groups in specific states and
process of centralisation of political and
economic powers, has caused
emergence and development of
regionalism in India. To a great extent,
in any plural society like India,
regionalism can be considered a
natural phenomena. It is primarily
a process and mechanism for
bargaining, expression of grievances,
political mobilisation, manifestation of
dissatisfied aspirations and reaction to
centralisation. But in certain cases,
either because of mishandling by the
government, misuse by vested interests
or interference by external forces, it
takes the shape of separatism. Then it
is a real threat to national integration
169
and social harmony. To understand
this a little better, let us have a look at
the nature and threat of separatism.
SEPARATISM
By separation is generally meant
movement to secede from the country
and become an independent State. This
can also be called as the most aggressive
manifestation of regionalism which
generally, comes up in border States.
Some suggest that separatism is a
result of the presence of religious,
linguistic or ethnic minorities,
concentrated in border States and lack
of loyalties to nation in them. A
number of studies in India as well as
outside have clearly proved that it is not
the presence of religious or ethnic
groups that in itself is a natural source
of conflict. It is a sense of alienation
that comes in a group because of
various reasons, that makes the group
available for use by vested interests
within and outside the country for
separatist movements. These causes
can be: (i) Exclusion from employment
opportunities because of language or
religious requirements. (ii) Denial of
land ownership or refusal to
recognise traditional land ownership.
(iii) Economic development projects in
minority regions which benefit the
majority instead of minority. (iv) Lack
of developmental activities and
absence of employment opportunities.
(v) Refusal to use minority language in
public schools and administration.
(vi) Suppression of movements
expressing democratic aspirations or
170 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
grievances. (vii) Similarity of culture,
language, values, traditions, etc. with
the people across the border.
Any of these reasons may cause
a sense of deprivation or neglect in
people. This sense is fueled by
propaganda by external forces
interested in destabilisation of country
because of strategic, military,
ideological or economic reasons. Vested
interest from within also use these
sentiments to bargain with the
government. Small groups from these
communities, assisted and encouraged
by external forces, use violent means
and even terrorist tactics. All this
results in alienating the minorities
further. This alienation or sense of
discrimination, real or perceived, is
exploited by political populism and
divisive forces. People start feeling that
in a new country, so called their own
country, they will have everything for
themselves. They do not realise that
elite are using them for their own vested
interests. For example, champions of
Pakistan like Jinha represented
interests not of all Indian Muslims but
only of elite Muslims. After the creation
of Pakistan, bulk of Muslims in that
country remain as poor, as exploited or
as discriminated by elite as they were
before partition.
In understanding separatism, the
extreme form of communalism and
regionalism, it is important to keep in
mind that no religious, cultural or
ethnic community is homogeneous as
communalists or separatists make it to
be. Every community is divided along
several lines like caste, class, culture,
language, profession, etc. It is also
important to note that several studies
have shown that the real carriers of
communalism, regionalism and
separatism are those belonging to
educated middle classes. And most of
these middle class people happen to be
not so enthusiastic about religion or
traditions. But at the same time they
have reasons to resent as they find the
existing system, detrimental to their
interests as well as their prospects of
development. They, therefore, seek a
place for themselves and look for
support from their communities. There
also are apprehensions among minority
groups because of the behaviour of
certain sections of majority, who with a
wrong understanding of nationalism
and patriotism attempt to impose their
own religious or cultural values as that
of the whole society or nation.
Thus, separatism arises from a
variety of causes which include
imbalanced development, elite
competition, use of religion and culture
by vested interests, weakening of
secularism, abetment, support and
encouragement by external forces and
powers. The process of separatism
generally starts with expression of
grievances, movements for autonomy or
better treatment, moving to extreme
regionalism or fundamentalism and
separation. Studies all over the world
have made two things very clear. One,
separation or secession are no solutions
to complaints of injustice, deprivation
or discrimination. In fact, in most cases
of separation problems have multiplied.
Second, suppression of regional or
REGIONAL IMBALANCES : REGIONALISM, LINGUISM AND SEPARATISM
ethnic movements in the name of
administrative convenience or law and
order situations has proved counter-
productive. What is needed, therefore,
is on the one hand a genuine approach
towards balanced development, social
justice, plurality, accommodation and
decentralisation; and on the other hand,
a firm handling of terrorists,
fundamentalists and communalists
without distinction of religion or
community, political patronage and
ideological preferences.
India is a vast country consisting
of various cultures, languages,
religions, castes and tribes. These
have been co-existing in a harmonious
manner for centuries providing India
a composite culture and sense of unity
in diversity. During colonial period,
in general, there emerged a stronger
sense of loyalty to the nation among
various communities. At the same time
due to colonial policy of divide and
rule, competition for resources and
jobs in emerging modern economy,
apprehensions about loss of identity
in new social order, there also was
emerging group consciousness among
various communities. After
independence because of various
factors including regional imbalances,
non-fulfillment of expectations of
masses in terms of developmental
goals, lack of clear language policy,
exploitation of peoples sentiments by
political groups for electoral purposes,
diversive and divisive tactics used by
vested interests to maintain status-quo
and designs of external powers to keep
171
India destabilised, underdeveloped
and weak, there had been emerging
regionalism, linguism, communalism
and separatism. In a vast and diverse
country like India, regionalism is
neither a matter of surprise nor a
threat to national integrity and unity
in itself. Regionalism can have both
positive and negative aspects
depending on the causes of its
emergence and how it is dealt. In India
too, we have both these experiences.
In many cases, regionalism by
providing people a mechanism to
express their grievances and getting
concessions from the government have
helped in strengthening the process of
integration. In some cases, having
become tool in the hands of vested
interests and abetted by external
forces, it has taken the shape of
separatism, using terrorist techniques.
Indian society therefore, has to
understand the issues of regionalism
and linguism in an objective and
dispassionate manner, looking into
social, economic and cultural aspects.
Societies characterised by cultural
pluralism have a built in tendency for
conflicts but are not necessarily prone
to disintegration. India has a long
history behind it that provides its
strength and sustenance. What is
required is efforts to build a modern
society based on full respect for human
liberties, pluralism, and a better social
deal for all, a society that does
not succumb to communalism,
fundamentalism and terrorism of
any kind.
172 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

EXERCISES

1. What do you understand by regional disparities? How far colonial administration

was responsible for this?
2. Examine the steps that have been taken to remove regional imbalances in India.
3. What is meant by regionalism? How far regional imbalances are responsible for
emergence of regionalism?
4. Explain the Official Language Policy of India.
5. What do you understand by separatism? Describe the causes of emergence of
separatism in India.
6. Write short notes on the following:
(i) Linguism;
(ii) Linguistic States;
(iii) Regions.

CHAPTER 15
Casteism and Political Violence
A MONG the diverse challenges that
Indian democracy is facing today,
not only for the survival of system but
also of the people as a community, quite
serious are those of communalism
and casteism. They are afflicting
our national life, social relations,
disrupting the bonds of unity among
the people and affecting the process of
development. Communal and caste
tensions are disturbing the social
peace and order diverting the State
resources from developmental activities
to unproductive expenditure on
maintenance of law and order. What is
more disturbing is the fact that these
phenomena affecting even those
sections of society which are generally,
considered to be modern, tolerant
and liberal. It is generally said
that technological and economic
development leads to decline of
traditional, irrational beliefs and
interactions and the emergence of new
bonds of socio-economic roles,
undermines communal and caste
identities. But in India, even after fifty-
five years of independence, in spite of
modernisation and industrialisation,
173
Communalism,
tremendous expansion of education
and urbanisations, communal and
caste loyalties have not only continued
but are assuming serious dimensions.
It is, therefore, important to cope with
these challenges. And for that, it is
necessary that we understand what
these problems are, what are the causes
for their emergence and growth and
what can be done to tackle them.
COMMUNALISM
The word communalism comes from the
word community, which in simple term
means individuals, attachment or
identification with the community to
which she/he belongs. In this sense, the
term communal is a positive term. In
its modern usage, term communalism
refers to the tendency of socio-religious
groups of a sectarian exploitation of
social traditions as a medium of
political mobilisation to promote
political, social and economic interests
of one group even at the expense of or
in an antagonistic conditions of
other group. In doing so, the religious
group may consider other religious
174 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
communities as opponents and
enemies.
Communalism in this context has
been explained mainly in two ways:
(i) as an ideology or belief system; and
(ii) as a social phenomenon. As an
ideology, it means, a belief that people
who follow a particular religion have
common social, political and economic
interests. Therefore, one should have
primary social and political allegiance
to ones religious groups. This belief in
due course takes the shape of social
phenomena. It means aggressive
assertion of communal identity in
organised way in opposition and
antagonism to other religions. This
assertion is used to demand voting on
religious basis and also confronting the
opposing group violently.
It is important to clarify here that
adherence to a religion is not
communalism. As Rasheeduddin Khan
points out, even indulgence in
ritualism, superstition, obscurantism,
magic, charm and occult practice like
astrology is not communalism. They
are merely irrational, unscientific and
primitive orientations of individuals
related to themselves and their
behaviour due to conformist traditions
or fear of the unknown. Even
commitment to conservative values in
social life and conservative orientation
in politics is not communalism. It could
be called social backwardness.
Communalism is using and exploiting
religion for political purposes
and mobilising one religious
community against other community.
Communalism in this sense is a modern
phenomena and not a phenomena of
the past.
It is also important to note that
communalism and communal violence
or riots are two distinct stages.
Communalism may not necessarily
lead to communal violence. The
primary factor involved in the
promotion is creation and consolidation
in one community of certain prejudices
against other community. This
existence of prejudice may always not
be necessarily reflected through
violence but nevertheless is very
dangerous and a reason for violence
whenever it occurs. Therefore, it is
important that it is not only communal
violence or communal riots that pose a
challenge to social harmony and
democracy but the very ideology and
system of communalism itself.
CAUSES AND FACTORS BEHIND
COMMUNALISM
Communalism is a multi dimensional,
complex, social phenomena. There are
social, political, economic, cultural and
religious factors which account for the
genesis of communalism and
communal violence. It has generally
been seen that determining role in
creating communalism is not played by
religion but by non-religious forces. A
careful scrutiny of the demands which
have been and are made by communal
leaders will reveal the true character
and objective of communal politics
under the mask of religion, tradition
and culture. Seen in historical context,
British imperialism used it as a divide
COMMUNALISM, CASTEISM AND POLITICAL VIOLENCE
and rule policy. The same has been
continued by vested interests after
independence using various factors. Let
us have a look at these.
COLONIAL LEGACY
As is well known, British administration
was interested in exploitation of India
and not in its welfare. Reaction to this
was emergence and growth of
nationalism posing a serious threat to
continuation of colonial rule. It served
the colonial administration to divide and
rule. They, therefore, nurtured and
promoted religious differences. They first
projected social and cultural variations
and then promoted political divisions by
playing up rival social, economic and
political claims of Hindus, Muslims,
tribals and lower castes. The communal
award, separate electorates, recognition
of communal demands, etc., can be
taken up as examples of this policy.
In fact, the type of politics approved,
tolerated and encouraged by the British
imperialism was only communal
politics. It is in this historical context
that communalism came to acquire the
meaning of being opposed to national
identity, of being against secularisation
process, of being too narrowly and
negatively attached to ones own
religious community and use of religion
for political purposes.
Response to colonial rule was
nationalism and national movement.
Unfortunately, it could not counter the
British policy of divide and rule. Rather,
in some ways it also became
instrumental, though unconsciously, in
175
consolidation of communal identities.
No doubt, the pioneers of the Indian
National Movement were great men and
hoped to develop political nationalism
to secure political ends, irrespective of
religious differences. In an age of
rationality, enlightenment and socio-
religious reform movements, they
wanted to keep religion strictly at
personal level and away from political
principles. But some of them perhaps
in their enthusiasm, could not realise
the methods they were using for
mobilising people. For instance, in the
nineteenth century, one stream of
Indian nationalism acquired a historical
dimension derived from a reformulated
view of Hindu past. There was an
emergence of militant nationalist
stream supported by leaders like
Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Lala Lajpat
Rai. The Ganpati festival and Shivaji
festival started by Tilak to mobilise the
masses against the colonial rulers,
though were not intended to be against
Muslims, but in the historical context
they alienated themselves as they could
not take an active part in these festivals.
Another factor was that the national
leaders adopted the policy of bringing
unity from above. Whenever there was
a question of differences on certain
issues concerning religion, only the top
leaders, not necessarily representatives
of communities, were consulted. The
national leaders thought that every
community in India was homogeneous
and well-knit and the communal
leadership was the authentic
spokesmen of the problems of the
community. Masses were never
176 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
taken into confidence. This method
encouraged communal leaders to keep
their communities in belligerent
mood and make use of that to bargain
their own positions. The real concern
of these leaders was not welfare of their
communities but protection of their
own vested power and political
interests.
As such, both the policies of British
colonial administration and failure of
national movement to counter that on
a firm social and secular basis, helped
consolidating communal, caste, tribal
and linguistic identities. Most serious
consequence of this was the partition
of India and its aftermath in
independent India.
COMMUNALISM IN INDEPENDENT INDIA
At the time of independence, as a result
of British colonial policies and other
factors mentioned above, there was an
atmosphere of various religious,
linguistic, caste and cultural groups
having gone into narrow sectarian
loyalties. In this situation, the partition
of the country on religious basis and
consequent violence had surcharged
the communal situation. Various
minorities were feeling a bit insecure
and worried about their future position
in independent India. The new
government, and the framers of the
Constitution were very much
concerned for unity and integrity of the
country, sense of security to all its
citizens, and maintenance of social
harmony. All these were the values to
which National Movement was
committed. These were also required for
strengthening of democracy and
achieving a rapid development.
Framers of the Constitution, therefore,
rightly decided to establish India as a
secular State. It meant respect for all
religions and tolerance of all faiths, no
State religion and support or favour to
any religion by the State. Along with
secularism were adopted democracy
and a commitment to economic
development. It was expected that in a
secular democratic set up government
and people would get involved in
economic development collectively,
thereby building a new Indian society.
What was expected was a new political
culture based on full respect for human
liberty, justice and equality.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC CAUSES
As you have already studied, at the time
of independence resources were limited
and expectations were very high. In this
situation planning was introduced to
maintain a balanced development. But
the planning could not achieve the
desired goals as a whole. Soon, there
emerged a competition for limited
resources. In this competition the
vested interests found an easy way to
mobilise people on caste, communal
and regional basis to demand better
share. The propertied and ruling
classes found religion and religiosity
most useful for reinforcing their
hegemony, their ideological dominance
and social control over the common
people. It may be mentioned here
that no religious community is a
COMMUNALISM, CASTEISM AND POLITICAL VIOLENCE
homogeneous community. In every
community there are poor and rich,
unemployed and underemployed.
In fact, the poor, underemployed,
unemployed and suppressed in every
community, have common grievances
against the rich and the powerful. The
rich and powerful, therefore, have a
vested interest to keep people divided
on religious basis rather allow them to
unite on class or economic basis.
Similarly, the political parties and
governments, having failed to fulfil the
expectations of people, use religion and
tradition as diverting tactics. Almost all
political parties having failed to keep
their promises for removing inequalities
or poverty and afraid of peoples wrath
in elections turn to create and raise
communal issues. Some parties tell the
minorities that they are being
discriminated against by majority
dominated governments and others tell
people from majority community that
governments are engaged in minority
appeasement and are neglecting their
interests. The frustrated, educated
unemployed or underemployed youth,
full of energies to act is particularly
targeted to keep them busy in divisive
politics. It is in this context that youth
in India today has fallen prey to
communal leadership and show greater
religious fervour, fundamentalistic
attitude and nearness to communal
identities than ever before. It is not a
coincidence that the period of economic
crisis that is the decades of 1980s and
1990s have also been worst in terms of
communal violence.
177
Along with this is the fact of
failure of the State to consolidate
secularism and formulate policies of
multiculturalism required in a plural
society. India is a multi religious
country. The believers of each religion
are very proud of their religion and are
concerned about maintaining their
religious identity. In this socio-religious
context, the functionaries of the secular
state have to maintain equal distance
from all, and at the same time they have
to harmonise inter religious social
relations. While the constitutional
framework provides a strong basis for
the separation of democracy and
religion, the actual practice of
democracy has revealed that the
political parties and governmental
functionaries have not been able
to internalise the constitutional
framework. Religious rituals are being
used at State functions.
ELECTORAL POLITICS AND
COMMUNALISM
Needless to say, introduction of
universal adult franchise was a bold
and revolutionary step on the part of
founders of Indian Constitution.
But unfortunately, soon after
independence, political parties and
politicians rather than strengthening
democratic traditions of competing on
the basis of programmes and ideologies,
started looking for easy ways of
mobilising voters. They found in religion
and caste easy factors to strengthen
their vote banks. The law in India does
not debar political parties to be
178 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
organised on the basis of caste or
religion. Even the Supreme Court, in a
Judgment delivered on 17 July, 1995
has ruled that political parties which
are identified with a particular caste,
community, religion or language can
seek votes to promote their cause
without creating hatred for their
adversaries. Given this opportunity,
political parties and leaders evolve
strategies for acquiring power in a
shortest possible time and in an easiest
way. Thus, most political parties have
carefully carved out combinations of
support bases in which the units of
mobilisation remain principally
community, caste and language and
region. Due to continuous failure of
planning in fulfilling peoples socio-
economic aspirations, the people have
been getting alienated from the system.
Political parties are exploiting this
sense of alienation of people also.
Consequently, the use of religion in
electoral politics and in nomination of
candidates and campaigning on
communal appeal have accentuated
the process of communalism to a
serious level.
The consequence of the above is that
today, the marriage of politics and
religion has led to the growing incidents
of communal violence. Mosques,
Temples and Gurudwaras are being
used not only for political mobilisation
but also to stockpile arms and weapons.
Communal and quasi-religious groups
are emerging as political organisations.
Religious passions are being whipped
up for the sake of political power.
Communal issues are being given
importance and real issues of
socio-economic development and
transformation are being sidelined.
The need of the hour is to face this
challenge to democracy, development
and social harmony in a united way.
The conscious, the educated and
concerned citizens should take the lead
and teach the people. Those who are
exploiting ordinary peoples emotions,
their religious beliefs and ignorance
need to be exposed. Since religion
teaches respect of others; and tolerance;
it does not teach violence. Existence of
different religions, therefore, does
not lead to communalism. It is
fundamentalism and communalism
which is distorting it.
COMBATING COMMUNALISM
It is time for the State and government
also to realise that ultimately anti-social
elements, communalists and criminals,
rather than serving the interest of
political parties and governmental
functionaries have themselves
started staking claims for power.
Communalism, therefore, should be
dealt with an iron hand. The government
should not yield to communal
pressures. The formation of political
parties on communal lines should not
be encouraged. Political parties should
either evolve a code of conduct not to
use religion for electioneering or let
Election Commission or Parliament
enact such a code. We need a State
machinery which is efficient, strong and
impartial enough to put down
communalism and communal violence
COMMUNALISM, CASTEISM AND POLITICAL VIOLENCE
and ensure safety to all section of the
society. Political, religious or other
compulsions should not be allowed to
come in on the way of this. Educational
system must be reconstructed to
emphasise the composite nature of our
culture and inculcate secular and
scientific temper among young
students. We have to realise that
communalism hinders social and
economic change, which is so essential
for all of us. Therefore, if political process
is not decommunalised then our
democracy itself is likely to perish.
Alternative to democracy is fascism or
dictatorship. The history of many
countries is a proof that Fascism and
dictatorship are good neither for
majority nor for minorities.
CASTEISM
It has been pointed out in the beginning
of this chapter that along with
communalism, casteism is another
serious challenge that Indias
democratic process is facing at this
juncture. We often hear and read in
newspapers the frequent instances of
caste confrontations, leading even to
violence and deaths. The issue of
reservations in services and educational
institutions on caste basis, raises a
storm every now and then. At election
times newspapers are full of caste
analysis of constituencies, parties
selecting candidates on caste basis and
castes providing support basis to
parties. Fact of the situation is that caste
is playing the most significant role in
Indian politics at all levels and in
179
various ways. As in the case of
communalism, at the time of
independence it was expected that with
the adoption of parliamentary
democracy, industrialisation and
modernisation, the narrow, parochial
influence of caste in society would go
away. But like religion, in practice,
caste appeals, caste mobilisation, caste
violence and caste-based parties have
increased. Why and how it has
happened and what are its
consequences for our social and
political process? Let us have a look at
that. For a proper understanding of the
problem it is first necessary to know
what is meant by caste.
CASTE AND CASTE SYSTEM
While the phenomena of caste is the
most important characteristic of Hindu
society, no precise definition of caste is
available. Though, there are some
linkages of caste with varna system but
the two are not the same. Caste is
usually a localised group having a
traditional hereditary association
with an occupation. The principle
of birth forms the exclusive basis
of membership in a caste group.
Accordingly, ones profession or
occupation is assigned on the basis of
ones birth in a caste and not on the
basis of ones liking. A caste group has
also restricted rules regarding food and
marriage. One may marry or carry on
close relations only within ones own
caste group. In view of closeness of
the system all members of the
same caste are supposed to be
180
treated alike. Caste system also
envisages vertical differentiations
between castes creating a hierarchy on
the basis of superiority and inferiority.
Some castes are considered low and
polluting to the extent of being
considered untouchables. In this sense
of hierarchical stratification of society
based on division and gradation of
labour, caste also implies inequality
and contains elements of exploitation
and oppression. The system is further
divided into sub-castes. Thus, there
are jatis and upjatis (castes and
sub-castes).
CASTE AND POLITICS
As you have read in the case of religion,
the British imperialist interests lay in
characterising the Indian people in terms
of communities and castes. They used
these identities for political divisions. Yet,
British belonging to Western liberal
society could not restrict educational
institutions or jobs under their control
to particular castes or religions. Thus,
having got opportunities for education
and jobs, there emerged in many castes
educated middle class. To get further
concessions from the government, they
started forming caste-associations.
Social reformers in India also took note
of the oppressive and divisive nature of
caste system and stressed upon the
needs for reforms. With education,
emergence of awareness and hopeful of
support from government, social
reformers and liberal leaders and some
from lower castes themselves began
trying to improve their status, and
protect their interests and rights.
DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
Thus, during colonial period the
caste system began to acquire new
identities and dimensions. It
undermined the vocational basis of
caste, its economic rationality, its
interactional restrictions and its spatial
and political isolation. However, the grip
of caste system on society did not
change much. Caste continued to
persist as the main identity mark in
Hindu society. In this dual context of
caste-based society and changing
dimension of caste mobility in
independent India, caste became an
important political resource.
CASTE IN INDEPENDENT INDIA
In independent India, with the
introduction of universal adult
franchise and beginning of a process
of socio-economic development and
transformation, caste has acquired a
new role. In the new system, caste has
both the positive and negative roles.
The government recognition of caste
as a category for reservations has
added a new dimension to caste based
politics. Until the introduction of the
principle of universal adult franchise,
the politically active sections,
particularly in rural areas, were
generally men of higher castes. The
grant of franchise gave importance to
numbers. This gave a chance to lower
castes and deprived groups to
organise themselves, assert their
numerical strength and get justice. In
this situation caste mobilisation
became an important means for
seeking justice.
COMMUNALISM, CASTEISM AND POLITICAL VIOLENCE
The caste associations provide
channels of communication and bases
of leadership and organisation which
enables those still subverted in the
traditional society and culture to
transcend the technical and political
literacy which would otherwise handicap
their ability to participate in democratic
politics. One result of this is that now all
political parties talk of welfare and
development of lower castes.
The other view looks at the use of
caste in politics as divisive and diversive.
First aspect of this is that democracy,
elections and processes of change came
as threat to the position of traditional
powerful sections in the rural areas who
generally, happened to be from upper
castes. They, therefore, developed an
interest in perpetuating the caste
system for legitimisation of their existing
position by exploiting the ignorance of
the masses. There also emerged conflict
within ruling classes, particularly
between the rich peasantry and urban
industrial classes. In this, for gaining
importance, the rural rich found caste
mobilisation as a useful means to
pressurise political parties in their
favour. Thus, in protecting their class
interests as landowners against
landless and small peasants, the higher
and middle castes got united. By this
they were successful in sculling the
land reforms and retaining control over
land. Economic dominance rooted in
control over land, provides the rural
elite conducive opportunities to control
the political and administrative
institutions at the village level. This
control, in turn, gives the ruling elite,
181
tremendous influence over the lower
castes at the time of elections. The caste
affiliations of rich and medium level
land owners is, thus, of great
importance to political parties.
Another use of caste to ruling
classes is to keep the voters divided, on
caste basis. By using caste, like religion,
they can keep voters attention diverted
from socio-economic issues and failures
on development plans. In a democratic
society in elections numbers count.
Majority of Indians are poor and
deprived. If they all join hands, it will
be very difficult for the parties favouring
propertied sections to win elections.
Similarly with freedom to form
associations, workers, landless
labourers, peasants and other
marginalised sections have the
opportunities to form associations,
trade unions, etc. United, these
associations can gain tremendous
bargaining power. Faced with the
challenge from the mobilised and
expectant masses, the ruling classes
find traditional identities of caste,
religion, region, etc. as important
means to keep the masses divided.
Caste being the most widespread and
deeply entrenched identity comes most
handy. Political competition based on
issues and ideologies is thus reduced
to a process of caste game.
CASTE AND ELECTIONS
Thus, caste has become an important
factor in electoral politics. The lower
caste people know that vote is a
potent weapon in their hands. With
182 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
government having failed to ameliorate
their conditions, these castes are trying
to assert by influencing election results.
One report of 1989 elections in Bihar
recorded What is important is that
hundreds of thousands of dalits were
able to cast their votes for the first time
resisting all threats to their lives. This
has given them a new izzat, and, in the
process, the already declining feudal
order in Bihar has been given another
severe jolt. At the same time, to
maintain their power upper caste
landowners are using all possible
means to perpetuate the system. Thus,
caste considerations become important
in electoral calculations with the result
that booth capturing and rigging of
ballots are resorted to. In many parts
of constituencies where the scheduled
castes and lower caste and poor form
nearly 40 per cent of electorate, they are
at times not allowed to reach the polling
stations. The electoral strategies of
political parties have further
strengthened caste identities and
loyalties.
Political parties work on the
basis of the demographic map
of parliamentary and assembly
constituencies and base their strategy
of nomination of candidates and
mobilisation of voters on the calculation
of possible caste coalitions. Since, no
one caste is absolutely dominant in any
large parliamentary or assembly
constituency, political parties seek to
manipulate coalitions of castes and
direct their electoral campaign towards
mobilising the people as Brahamins,
Jats, Kammas, Reddies, Rajputs, etc.
During the election, local caste leaders,
with influence over their fraternity are
mobilised with promises of rewards for
support by various party candidates.
By consciously encouraging caste
loyalties in elections, cabinet formations
and other political appointments, the
parties and leadership have
strengthened caste identities. Caste has
become an instrument of bargaining in
politics because caste arithmetic has
been used as the basis of political
legitimacy. Thus, caste identities have
been solidified because a new
consciousness has been created by
political leaders that caste is a very
important bargaining factor in
capturing the party machine, seats in
legislatures or positions in cabinets.
Results of this role of caste in politics
in general and in elections in particular
are also caste conflicts, caste violence and
caste wars. The society stands
fragmented and divided. Socio-economic,
national and civic issues in elections do
not matter. Political parties rather than
relying on their performance and
programmes, look for caste supports and
power brokers. This has sharpened social
cleavages. Caste vs caste politics does not
make politics competitive as is required
in democracy. Democratic political
culture is based on the spirit of
accommodation of diversities; but
casteism, like communalism, is based on
social exclusionism.
VIOLENCE
The most aggressive manifestation,
of communalism, casteism, and
COMMUNALISM, CASTEISM AND POLITICAL VIOLENCE
deteriorating political process is
violence. Communal violence, caste
violence and political violence in general
have attained serious dimensions.
These days, whenever we open a
newspaper, we find references to violent
clashes between religious groups,
between castes, or between linguistic
communities. During elections, we read
about booth capturing, voters are
allowed to vote on gun point, people
being killed during elections, mobs
being fired at. Rising violence in politics
can more clearly be seen in communal
riots, caste oppressions and conflicts
and criminalisation of politics.
Communal riots are engineered by
vested interests for political, religious
and economic reasons. Since much has
not been done to secularise the society,
people remain backward in their social
thinking, caught in superstitious beliefs
and obscurantist practices. Ruling
classes have allowed pre-partition
legacy of communal division to intrude
into politics, lending legitimacy to
religious fundamentalism. To
perpetuate the divisions, violent
confrontations are encouraged. The
decade of 1990s has seen an alarming
rise in the graph of Hindu-Muslim riots
that had been increasing steadily all
over India for several years. Various
studies have shown that riots are
primarily an urban phenomena and are
provoked by communal ideology on
one hand and economic confrontation
on the other.
So far as caste violence is concerned
it is taking various shapes. First, as a
result of agricultural development,
183
zamindari abolition and above all green
revolution, there has emerged serious
conflict of interests between higher and
middle castes. This has turned into
fierce struggle for political power. The
aggressive political posture by other
Backward Castes is one manifestation
of this, whereby OBCs having economic
power are keen to improve their social
and political position. This many a times
leads to violence.
Second aspect of caste violence is
higher castes backlash against
emerging awareness and assertion of
independence by lower castes
particularly Scheduled Castes. The
Scheduled Castes are threatened not to
vote against landlords. They are not
allowed to go to polling stations,
violence is used to rigg the polls and
capture the booths. Third manifestation
of caste violence is related to the
second. The lower caste groups,
landless labourers, suffering from
unemployment and poverty are
mobilised by militant and extremist
groups like Naxalites for violent actions.
As a whole, caste violence in its
various shapes has been increasing. It
has started entering urban areas too;
for example, as was evident during anti-
reservation agitations in 1990. During
election times, communal and caste
violence become more aggravated along
with general decline in political system.
In some cases it has become a norm
that whoever can employ goons to
terrorise the voters, capture polling
booths and mark ballot papers in his
favour, stands a better chance of
winning. The criminals now have
184 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
started entering politics directly
through political parties or as
independent candidates. By acquiring
political power, criminals are able to
pressurise police and administration
not to act against their criminal
activities. This obviously results in
spread of crime and violence in society
in general.
The most serious manifestation of
political and social violence has been
the growth of terrorism. Many
communalists, fundamentalists or
those owing allegiance to militant
ideologies, have started using the
language of gun to prove their own point
right. There are various factors that
have contributed in swelling the ranks
of terrorists in various regions. In some
cases, innocent victims of state
repression go underground and join
the ranks of terrorists or insurgents.
Whatever may be the reasons,
terrorism edges out debates in
a democratic form and sup-
presses dissent. Terrorist groups,
owing allegiance to fundamental
organisations, even aim at subjugating
members of their own communities to
follow norms and practices selectively
taken out from their traditional
religious practices and systems on the
plea of restoring the fundamental
purity of their respective religions. While
imposing such traditional norms on
members of their particular
communities, they threaten the
democratic rights of their own people.
Another important point is that,
organised terrorism in India, as
elsewhere, has been able to acquire
sophisticated weapons. When the gun
starts becoming decisive force in
political discourse, democracy
obviously comes under great threat.
As a whole, when criminals,
hoodlums and gangsters become an
integral part of political process, one of
the consequences is the gradual demise
of democratic institutions. The
escalation of violence in recent decades,
thus, is a great challenge Indian
democracy and society is facing today.
From the above discussion it
becomes clear that Indian society and
democracy are facing serious challenges
from forces of communalism,
casteism and violence. With the
adoption of Parliamentary democracy,
industrialisation and spread of
education, it was expected that narrow
parochial influence of religion, caste,
ethnicity, etc. would wane. But very
opposite has happened. Several causes
are responsible for this. India is a very
ancient society and religion plays a
dominant role in the life of the majority
of the people. But, religion and religious
pluralities in themselves are not reasons
for communalism. It is the use of
religion by vested interests to keep the
society divided that causes
communalism. So is the case with
casteism. Unfortunately, most political
parties are compromising with
communal and caste politics as also
using criminals for electoral success. As
a result, the ideology of communalism
is not confined to organised communal
organisations only. It has penetrated
into the system itself. Since, all sectional
forces of communalism and casteism
COMMUNALISM, CASTEISM AND POLITICAL VIOLENCE 185

compete against each other; they adopt
aggressive methods of imposing
their ideology.
Use of violence in communal and
caste politics has given legitimacy to
violence and crime in politics.
The Election Commissioner G.V.G.
Krishnamurthy, has gone on record to
say that the situation is threatening to
degenerate into a government of
the criminals, for the criminals, by
the criminals.
Such a sorry state of affairs cannot
be allowed to continue for long. The
doctrines of liberty, equality, fraternity,
social justice, secularism, fair play and
rule of law, enshrined in our
Constitution have to percolate into our
daily lives. The government, the political
parties and citizens all must play their
role in the fight against these
challenges. It should be recognised that
politics should be kept free from ills of
the social environment, and should be
used for reforming the society. The
government should deal with
communal and divisive forces with a
firm hand. Political parties should fight
elections and exercise political power on
the basis of an ideological perspective,
of course, taking care of social, cultural
and linguistic interests of various
communities in India. However, the
State apparatus should be insulated
from communal or caste feelings.
We have to understand that the real
purposes of communal and caste
politics is to keep us divided. Masses
are religious minded but not communal.
Hence, the educated and the conscious
have to protect them from falling prey
to communal forces. Communal and
caste sentiments are bound to lose their
strength in India with the growth of
democratic and humanistic values. We
in India are in a desperate need to
make a new beginning. With firm
determination we can do this.

EXERCISE

1. Explain the causes and factors for the emergence and development of
Communalism in India.
2. Describe the role of Caste in electoral politics of India.
3. What are the factors responsible for emergence of violence in Indian politics?
What threat it poses to democracy?
4. How can communalism be curbed?
5. Write short notes on the following:
(i) Casteism;
(ii) Terrorism.
 UNIT V
INDIA AND THE WORLD
CHAPTER 16
Foreign Policy of India
Determinants and Basic Principles
F OREIGN policy, in general terms,
means maintenance of relations
with other countries and participation
in international political and economic
affairs. It is a combination of principles,
interests and objectives through which
a State formulates and conducts its
relations with other countries.
Traditionally, it is believed that a
countrys main concern while dealing
with other countries and participating
in international affairs is protection of
its national interest. However, the
national interest is not the sole
determinant in formulating a countrys
foreign policy. It is very difficult to
pinpoint a countrys national interest
in isolation. In fact, a foreign policy
serves two major goals namely,
protection and promotion of national
interests and participation in global
concerns like peace, disarmament,
development, justice, decolonisation,
etc. Therefore, a countrys foreign policy
is generally, determined by an interplay
of four factors. These are: (i) national
interest; (ii) geographical and political
location and situation; (iii) nature, type
and relation with neighbours; and
(iv) international environment. In other
words, it can be said that two broad
types of influences, i.e. the domestic
environment dealing with factors (i) and
(ii) and international environment
dealing with factors (iii) and (iv)
influence the making of foreign policy
of a country. It is, however, important
to keep in mind that both these
environments are dynamic and keep on
changing. Countries accordingly have
to keep pace with these and reevaluate
their policies from time to time. Besides,
there are certain long-term aspects of
these environments which determine
some basic characteristics of a
countrys foreign policy. Indias foreign
policy has been and is being influenced
by both external and internal
environments; and elements of
continuity and change are prevalent. In
other words, there are certain basic
characteristics of our foreign policy
which we have adopted from the
beginning, and there are periodic
adjustments and changes in that,
particularly in terms of our relations
with specific countries. First, we will
discuss the elements or factors that
190
have been shaping Indias foreign
policy, and the main characteristics of
that policy and changes and
adjustments therein. In subsequent
chapters, we will read about Indias
relations with some specific countries.
DOMESTIC ENVIRONMENT
Among the domestic determinant the
primary factors shaping Indias foreign
policy have been its history and culture,
geographical situation, national
philosophy and identity, demands of
economic development and political
organisation.
History and Culture
Indias history is not only very old but
also complex. This history has given
India a pluralist society and a value
system. The writings of well known
modern Indian thinkers show that
belief in ancient social values is still very
much alive in modern India regardless
of whether it is practised or not.
Important traditional values which had
some impact on Indias foreign policy
are tolerance, the equation of mean and
ends, and non-violence.
The character of British rule with its
merits and demerits, and national
freedom movement also had its impact
on the formation of its foreign policy.
This according to Prof. A. Appadorai is
three fold: (i) it gave a stimulus to the
national movement for freedom which
in turn led to Indias support for the
freedom of dependent people ; (ii) racial
inequality clearly existed under British
rule which made India realise the
DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
inequality of racial discrimination and,
in turn, led her to stress on racial
equality in her foreign policy; and
(iii) India continued as a member of the
Commonwealth after she became
independent. At the same time the fact
that, before 1947, opportunity was
denied to Indians to participate in the
decision-making process in foreign
policy, India remained out of touch with
the realities in the modern world.
The history of India has also given
her a pluralistic society. The Hindu,
Buddhist, Jain and Sikh faiths were
born in this country. Christianity,
Judaism, Zoroastrianism and Islam
entered it later on. They all prospered
here in an atmosphere of tolerance and
reverence. Various religious and ethnic
groups in India also have sensitivities
towards their coreligious and cultural
groups outside India. The government,
while taking decisions on certain
issues, therefore, cannot just overlook
them. For example, presence of a large
Tamil population in Sri Lanka and the
concern of Indian Tamils for them
cannot just be overlooked. As such on
many issues in foreign policy India has
to be very careful.
Geographical situation
Indias location in the centre of South
Asia places her in a significant geo-
political situation, both for the
international community and India
herself. Added to it is the size and
population of India. All the countries
of South Asia which are the members
of South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation (SAARC) i.e. Bangladesh,
FOREIGN POLICY OF INDIA : DETERMINANTS AND BASIC PRINCIPLES
Maldives, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan and
Sri Lanka have common borders with
India which is the biggest and the
largest of all these countries. Therefore,
there are expectations from it as well as
apprehensions of its dominance.
Similarly, India and China are not only
two most populous countries of the
world but also have potentials to emerge
as great powers. Two such bordering
countries in view of commonality of
interests can enter into cooperation or
conflict depending on various situations
including the decisions taken by their
leaderships. In such a geographical
situation Super Powers, too, have
interests in India and her relationship
with her neighbours.
National Philosophy and Identity
During her national movement for
freedom certain values and
commitments emerged which, in a way,
have become a part of our national
philosophy. Indias freedom movement
was unique in the sense that while it
strived to achieve freedom for the
country, it was also responsive to the
currents and cross-currents of
international relations. Under the
leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru, the
Indian National Congress passed a
variety of resolutions expressing its
views on the problems of the world.
Indias commitment to world peace,
anti-colonial struggle, opposition to
racism, commitment to democracy,
freedom, secularism and peaceful
coexistence are certain important values
which came out from our freedom
struggle. Promotion and protection of
191
these values has to be a part and parcel
of our foreign policy. Also, during
national movement, the sense of Indias
national identity related to its territorial
boundaries has been evolved.
Protection of territorial Indian identity
i.e. unity and integrity of India are our
prime concerns.
Demands of Economic Development
The economic development of India has
been of such an urgent need that
policy-makers were right to use foreign
policy as a tool to further the
developmental process. Foreign policy
has an impact on the economic
development of an underdeveloped
country. It may help to secure foreign
aid for economic development. It may
encourage or discourage the flow of
foreign private capital. It may through
foreign trade policies and trade
agreements, promote or retard exports
with their impact on balance of
payments as well as economic growth,
and it may also through encouraging
joint industrial ventures with parties in
other developing countries, give an
impetus to increase production in order
to establish the industrial unity.
In this context working for world
peace and avoiding conflicts were
essential for Indias economic
development. War not only diverts
funds from development to defence but
also effects foreign trade with
neighbouring countries and foreign aid
both of which are essential for
development. Further, in a bipolar
world to receive aid as well as maintain
its sovereignty, India had to formulate
192 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
a foreign policy conducive to maintain
balance of power. In order to attain self-
sufficiency, it is essential to develop
avenues of favourable foreign trade
rather than depend on foreign aid.
Therefore, foreign policy, has to lay
emphasis on this aspect to achieve
regional cooperation. Thus, the
demands of economic development
have been an important factor in the
evolution of Indias foreign policy of
non-alignment as well as friendship
with all countries.
Political Organisation
In the parliamentary democracy of
India formulation of policy and
activities of government are
accountable. Though, in the name of
national interest and strategic issues
involved, government on matters of
foreign policy, seeks some autonomy
from parliament. It cannot be totally
secretive since foreign policy forms an
important segment of the public policy.
It follows that the people would have
an interest in the formation of that
policy. In this context, Parliament, as
the representative of the people, has
occasionally been a useful guardian in
the formulation of foreign policy. Public
opinion, expressed through the press
and studied by public opinion polls,
has had to be taken care of by the
makers of foreign policy. Political
parties have, of course, been keenly
interested in foreign policy and no
government, even one commanding a
large majority, can afford to ignore their
view points.
THE EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT
The domestic determinants provide
values and concerns for a nations
foreign policy. The external
environment provides the arena of
action and broader global concerns and
trends. The situation at the time of
Indias independence was that of post
Second World War that has ended in
1945. The world stood divided into two
blocs one liberal democratic capitalist
world led by the United States of
America and the other Communist
world led by the Soviet Union. Not only
world was divided into two rival blocs
but there was cold war also between the
two to prove superiority. Related to this
was Arms race particularly the
proliferation of nuclear weapons.
In the post-Second World War
period there also had emerged process
and ideology of decolonisation. In the
process newly independent countries of
Asia, Africa and Latin America had
emerged as new entrants in
international politics. Those which were
still not granted independence were
struggling for that and seeking support
from erstwhile colonies like India, as also
from newly established United Nations
Organisation (UNO) and those
developed countries like the USA who
had fought in the war on the claimed
principles of democracy and self-
determination.
Even before Indias independence
the national movement had started
taking note of global dimensions
covering developments in many parts
of the world like resurgence of
FOREIGN POLICY OF INDIA : DETERMINANTS AND BASIC PRINCIPLES
nationalism in Asia and Africa, the
emergence of China and Japan; the rise
of Fascism in Europe; role of the USA
in world affairs; October Revolution of
Russia establishing communist states
and process of decolonisation. The
Indian National Congress in its sessions
in 1926, 1927 and 1928 had adopted
resolutions against imperialism, in
support of liberation struggles and for
strengthening of bonds of solidarity
with the people of Asia and Africa. In
the given international scene India, with
its size and history, was expected to be
in the forefront of issues facing colonial
and newly independent countries.
Indias foreign policy was to be
determined accordingly.
The above description of deter -
minants of Indias foreign policy makes
it clear that Indias foreign policy was
to be a projection of the values which
we have inherited through the
centuries and during our national
movement as well as our present
concerns. Like colonial powers and
developed countries India was not tied
to the concepts of a foreign policy
designed to safeguard overseas
possessions, investments, carving out
areas of influence and establishing
domination over others. Indias first
concern was to safeguard its
independence . She had equal interest
in the maintenance and safeguarding
international peace as an essential
condition of her economic, social and
political development. These concerns
remain relevant even today. At the same
time during last 55 years there had also
193
been changes and new developments,
some even drastic. India, thus,
established certain basic characteristics
of its foreign policy after independence
which are still there. At the same time,
there have been changes from time to
time. A particular drastic change in
international affairs was the
disintegration of Soviet Union and
collapse of Communism in East
European countries in early 1990s.
Related to this has been the process of
globalisation. These events have made
almost all countries, particularly,
developed countries to have a fresh look
at their foreign policies and relations.
We can have a look both at the basic
characteristic of Indias foreign policy
its continuity and changes in it.
FOREIGN POLICY OF INDIA : BASIC
PRINCIPLES
As mentioned above, even before Indias
independence the leaders involved in
the national movement had started
taking interest and present the vision
of Indias foreign policy. Jawaharlal
Nehru in particular took a very active
interest. The Indian National Congress
in 1927 established its Foreign Affairs
department with Jawaharlal Nehru as
its main spokesman. In 1946,
assuming office as Prime Minister and
incharge of foreign affairs department
in the interim government, he made a
clear declaration about future foreign
policy. He said we shall take full part
in international conferences as a free
nation with our own policy and not
194 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
merely as a satellite of another nation.
We hope to develop close direct contacts
with other nations and to cooperate
with them in the furtherance of world
peace and freedom. We propose, as far
as possible, to keep away from the
power politics of groups, aligned
against one another, which have led in
the past two world wars and which may
again lead to disasters on an even vaster
scale. We believe that peace and
freedom are indivisible and the denial
of freedom any where must and
endanger freedom elsewhere and lead
to conflict and war.
In the context of the above
statement and to protect Indias
national interests, to maintain the
territorial integrity and to achieve
economic development, the foreign
policy objectives before India were:
Maintenance of Freedom in Policy
Formulation;
Promotion of International (Global)
Peace;
Cooperation with United Nations
Organisation;
Disarmament;
Opposition to Colonialism,
Imperialism and Racism;
Cooperation Among Developing
Countries.
MAINTENANCE OF FREEDOM IN
POLICY-FORMULATION
It has been mentioned above that
history; geography, past experiences
and the post- Second World War
international situation were the
formative influences on the formulation
of Indias foreign policy. In addition, it
can hardly be overlooked that Indias
size, potential and perceptions of her
leaders postulated an intense interest
in world affairs. Indian leadership was
highly conscious of her needs and
potentials. This awareness reinforced
by a powerful nationalist impulse set
India to chart out her own independent
course in international affairs.
Therefore, the basic principle for
formulation of Indias foreign policy
became freedom from external
pressures, from power blocs. For this
non-alignment became the logical
framework of Indias foreign policy. We
will discuss below basic features and
characteristics of non-alignment. Here
it is important to note that an
independent foreign policy responded
to the conscious and sub-conscious
urges of the people, imparted a sense
of pride and belonging and helped
cement the unity of the country.
INTERNATIONAL PEACE
Maintenance and promotion of
international peace and security has
been one of the overriding goals of
Indias foreign policy, Right from the
beginning India desired peace not
merely as an ideal but also as an
essential condition for its own security.
However, peace for India is not a pacifist
neutralism. Jawaharlal Nehru made it
clear. Peace is not simply renunciation
of war, but an active positive approach
towards international relations and
problems, leading to the easing of
FOREIGN POLICY OF INDIA : DETERMINANTS AND BASIC PRINCIPLES
tension by means of solving problems
on the negotiating table, by means of
the growing international cooperation
in different spheres; cultural and
scientific contacts, extending trade and
business contacts, exchanging views,
experience and information.
Accordingly, India has been insisting
on peaceful methods to solve all
problems. It also tried to maintain
friendly relations with all countries
without considerations of differences in
ideologies and political systems. Its
message has been peace, peaceful
development, peaceful cooperation,
peaceful coexistence and struggle
for peace.
SUPPORT FOR UNITED NATIONS
As pointed out above Indias concern
for international peace was not a
negative or passive one but a positive
and constructive one. Peace meant not
only avoidance of war, but also
reduction of tension and if possible end
of Cold War. For this India considered
United Nations as an effective and
desirable agency. As such, India
decided to give unqualified and active
support and allegiance to the United
Nations. In a subsequent chapter we
will discuss Indias role in the UN and
its various activities therein.
DISARMAMENT
Another essential concern for peace in
Indias foreign policy has been arms
control, disarmament and related
matters. In the context of arms race that
began with speed during the Cold War
195
period after the end of Second World
War, it was felt that ar ms race
represents a waste of resources, a
diversion of the economy away from its
humanitarian purposes, a hindrance to
national development and a threat to
democratic process. It also impedes
relations between countries affecting
the volume and direction of exchanges,
diminishing the role of cooperation
among states and efforts towards
building a just international order.
Therefore, from the very beginning,
India has advocated the prohibition of
nuclear weapons and check on the
proliferation of all kinds of weapons in
the United Nations and other forums.
In general, a major objective of Indias
foreign policy has been comprehensive
disarmament. In a subsequent chapter
we will discuss in detail Indias position
and the role it has been playing towards
arms control and disarmament.
OPPOSITION TO COLONIALISM
IMPERIALISM AND RACISM
As has already been mentioned that
Indias vision about foreign policy and
world affairs had emerged as a part of
its struggle for liberation from colonial
rule. In that leadership saw its own
movement as a part of struggle against
colonial domination and the entire
imperialist system of oppression and
discrimination. Cause of liberation of
subject peoples and the elimination of
racial discrimination, therefore, became
important objectives of Indias foreign
policy. In fact anti-imperialism and anti-
colonialism has been a matter of faith
196 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
with Indias foreign policy. Similarly, it
has been aimed at opposition to all forms
of racial discrimination. India firmly
believes that racialism is one of the
sources of conflict in the world and a
threat to international peace. Therefore,
India, at various forums has strongly
formulated, defended and elaborated the
ideals of freedom for all, elimination of
racism and racial discrimination and
opposition to imperialism in all its forms.
In chapter on India and UN, we will
discuss in detail Indias contributions
towards these. It can, however, be
mentioned here that the continuity and
the consistency with which this cause
has been supported by India
throughout, has brought her
an unprecedented prestige and
dignity, particularly among the
developing countries.
COOPERATION AMONG DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES
The major task for India as also for
other newly liberated countries was that
of nation building and development. In
the given situation and international
atmosphere of unbearable inequality
and exploitation established by
colonialism and imperialism this was a
very difficult task for any country
individually. Moreover the developed
Western world was not in a mood to
concede their position of domination.
India, therefore, firmly believed in the
necessity of cooperation and solidarity
among developing countries of Asia-
Africa and Latin America both for
the purposes of struggle against
colonialism and for their economic
development. India had formulated this
vision even before independence . It is,
therefore, not surprising that India
became the venue of the first forum of
liberated nations. Representatives of 28
countries met in New Delhi in March
1947 at the conference on regional
cooperation among the Asian
Countries. Another conference of the
independent states also met in New
Delhi in 1949. As you will read, India
played a leading role in the
establishment of Non-Alignment
Movement (NAM) as a forum of newly
independent countries to maintain their
freedom in foreign affairs by keeping
independent of power blocs and also for
cooperation among themselves. India
has consistently been working for
meaningful cooperation among
developing countries. We will study
more about it in chapter on India and
the UN.
India thus, relied on three main
principles: non-alignment, peace and
friendship with all countries. India
needed the friendship of both Eastern
and Western powers. It disliked any
interference from outside and realised
that keeping the big powers out of the
region was a vital pre-condition of
political autonomy and national
reconstruction. Following this line of
approach, Nehrus interest was in
mobilising support and assistance of
the rich nations of the world for Indias
economic growth. Further he was in
favour of avoiding conflict with Super
Powers. He laid emphasis on cultivating
the friendship of the emerging countries
FOREIGN POLICY OF INDIA : DETERMINANTS AND BASIC PRINCIPLES
and in speaking authoritatively on their
behalf on various Councils of the world.
NON-ALIGNMENT
Peace, freedom from colonialism, racial
equality and non-alignment with
military blocs, emerged as main planks
of independent Indias foreign policy.
Nehru, the architect of non-alignment
himself said, I have not originated non-
alignment, it is a policy inherent in the
circumstances of India, in the
conditioning of the Indian mind during
the struggle for freedom and inherent
in the very circumstances of the world
today.
When we say that India follows
policy of non-alignment, it means that
(i) India has no military alliances with
countries of either block; (ii) India has
an independent approach to foreign
policy; and (iii) India attempts to
maintain friendly relations with all
countries.
NON-ALIGNMENT AND NEUTRALITY
Non-alignment is perceived by some
observers as neutrality. Jawaharlal
Nehru attempted to remove the
confusion by observing that neutrality
as a policy has little meaning except in
time of war.
When we say that non-alignment
means to remain independent of blocs,
it gives an impression of remaining
neutral. Neutrality and non-alignment
infact, are two different concepts. The
term neutrality in international law
refers to a situation in which a state
does not take any side in a war. Neutral
197
States, generally, do not take sides even
in disputes and differences of opinion
between other states. Therefore, the
term neutrality is basically connected
with war or war like situations. Non-
alignment on the other hand, is
concerned both in war and peace
situations and in fact is more relevant
in peace.
Non-alignment is a condition of non-
involvement in tensions and potential
conflicts between military alliances and
power blocs. Neutrality as a concept, a
term and a situation emerged in the
eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
The newly liberated countries of Asia
and Africa, led by India, Egypt, Syria,
Indonesia and Ghana together with
Yugoslavia, refused to fall in line with
one power bloc or another. They
considered the situation of bi-polarity
irrelevant to their own economic
development and social change. They
refused to be tied down in needless big
power conflicts. Therefore, they began
to take independent position in the
United Nations on several world issues,
by refusing to get aligned with one big
power or the other.
Therefore, while neutrality is a
negative concept, in the sense that it seeks
to avoid taking sides in war, non-
alignment is a positive concept which on
the one hand, refutes alignments and
subordination to big powers, and on the
other, affirms positive commitment to an
independent foreign policy, and to major
concerns like peace in the world,
cooperation between States based on
equality and justice, and economic
development for greater human welfare.
198 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
In broad terms it can be said that
there are three essential features or
elements of Indias foreign policy. First,
the entire exercise of foreign policy as
Jawaharlal Nehru himself conceived
was to safeguard Indias decision-
making autonomy, to obtain some
additional importance for India and to
be heard in the comity of nations about
Indias views on issues vital to her. This
is the fundamental and basic element
in the foreign policy of India.
Second, important element was that
India should cooperate with other
similarly emerging developing countries
for mutual benefit. It was believed that
by reinforcing the independence of
these emerging nations, India shall be
reinforcing its own independence .
The third, element of Indias foreign
policy was cooperation at the world level.
It means that India as a non-aligned
country, should not get involved or be
entangled in the politics of the big
powers and yet maintain good working
relations with all of them without
sacrificing her national independence .
CONTINUITY AND CHANGE IN POLICY
India not only adopted the policy of
non-alignment for itself but also became
a founder member of Non-Aligned
Movement (NAM). The three basic
elements of its foreign policy remained
intact. But at times the emphasis on
non-alignment and peaceful
coexistence, brought in a sense of
pacificism in foreign policy. As a result
not much attention was given to defence
and military capabilities. This weakness
was exposed in a short border war with
China in 1962. At the same time efforts
for disarmament notwithstanding
nuclear weapons proliferation was
going on. At Indias own borders, China
in 1966 tested its own nuclear device.
All these developments shook Indian
confidence. Prime Minister Jawaharlal
Nehru himself, after Chinese aggression,
had to express ultimately the task of
any countrys foreign policy is to protect
its integrity. This is the first test of any
countrys foreign policy and it if cannot
achieve this then it is a failure.
In view of Chinese aggression, India
had to take western assistance for its
enhanced defence needs. It entered into
bilateral agreements with the USA and
Britain for purchase and production of
arms. Though it did not discard non-
alignment, doubts were raised about
its ideological commitment. After
Nehrus death in 1964, hostilities with
Pakistan in 1965, increasing friendship
between China and Pakistan, nuclear
development in China, idealism in
foreign policy had to be further watered
down.
During 1960s and 1970s as a
result of emerging America-China-
Pakistan alliance, increased arms race,
developments in East Bengal
(Bangladesh), dumping of armaments
in Middle East by great powers, world
wide military alliance and struggle
between the USA and USSR in the
Indian Ocean region, Indias strategic
position came under further pressure.
These external environments and
domestic developments made India to
tilt towards USSR for its strategic
FOREIGN POLICY OF INDIA : DETERMINANTS AND BASIC PRINCIPLES
needs. In August 1971 India signed a
twenty-year treaty of friendship and
cooperation with Soviet Union. It was
not a mutual security treaty; it was an
agreement for consultation. It, however,
raised many doubts, within and
outside, about the genuineness of non-
alignment. It was more so because in
the prevailing circumstances it was
alleged to be intended as a deterrent to
Pakistan and China.
Even with the change of government
at centre in 1977, (the new Janata Party
government did not envisage any
change in the basic tenets of our foreign
policy). The Janata government
declared itself in favour of genuine non-
alignment, good neighbourly relations,
friendship with all, peaceful settlement
of international disputes and
disarmament.
During 1980s, India more or less,
continued its policy and relations with
other countries on the principles of
sovereign equality, mutual respect and
non-interference in the international
affairs. However, there was now more
emphasis on maintaining Indias
dignity, self-respect and national
interest. It can be said that non-
alignment was balanced with
pragmatism. India, like many other
countries, entered into bilateral and
multilateral agreements rather than
simply harping upon Afro-Asian
solidarity. There also was move towards
regional cooperation and therefore,
establishment of South Asian
Association for Regional cooperation
(SAARC). In general, during 1980s
there were enough indications of India
199
continuing to adhere to the basic policy
of non-alignment and friendship. At the
same time taking pragmatic decisions
in accordance with countrys specific
requirements of development and
defence were the basic tenets of Indias
foreign policy.
ERA OF GLOBALISATION
From the late 1980s world started
changing very rapidly. It was a period
of critical times in international
relations. It was the time when the
super power rivalry got almost
eliminated. Disintegration and collapse
of Soviet Union and East European
countries had changed both the
ideological and procedural aspects of
international relations. Establishment
of united Germany, emergence of
European Union, end of apartheid in
South Africa and emergence of peace
and environmental movements world
over all have brought new actors and
roles in international relations and
politics. Though, the Cold War
considered to have been ended, there
had emerged new areas of conflicts and
tensions. The processes of globalisation
was bringing new dimensions in
relations between states and role of
international organisations. Division of
labour and opening of national and
regional markets to increasing world
trade, and transfer of investments and
technology became the order of the day.
In this situation it became clear that
one cannot remain mired in the past.
The emerging new international
order is now being viewed differently by
200 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
different observers. One view is that the
world has become unipolar in which the
USA has become the single most
important power. It could act
unilaterally without any fear of its
actions being challenged. The other
view is that after the collapse of
bipolarity in the process of evolution
emerged a polycentric world where
major players are the USA, European
Union, Japan, China and Russia. Some
speculate whether India too would be
a major actor in international decision-
making or not.
Hence, a different division of the
world has come into sharper focus.
Whereas, earlier, it was essentially
ideological between the capitalist
West and Communist/Socialist
East now the division is between the
rich North and poor South. The
disintegration of erstwhile Soviet Union
has also led to a situation where the
bulk of aid and trade is now being
concentrated on the countries of
Eastern Europe. Hence, countries like
India have to look for alternatives to aid
and development. Foreign policy,
therefore, has to take care of trade and
commerce, negotiations with
multilateral agencies, participation in
new organisations like World Trade
Organisation (WTO), etc. In this new
world order ideology is becoming less
important.
Another development that the world
has been witnessing for the last two
decades is that of resurgence of sub-
nationalism, religious and ethnic
fundamentalism, and terrorism. India
is facing these challenges both
nationally and internationally. These
phenomena had become international.
Terrorist attacks in USA on 11
September, 2001, had brought new
dimensions in international politics and
international relations. New types of
equations and alliances are emerging
either to combat international terrorism
or establish new types of hegemonies
in view of such phenomena. These are
very significant factors affecting Indias
foreign policy.
In the changed situation, India
has recognised the need to develop
more pragmatic and wide-ranging
international relationship. Indias major
strategic focus has been on her
neighbourhood in particular China and
Pakistan. In the aftermath of the cold
war and with the advent of Indias
economic reforms and looking for
foreign capital investment, there is
marked willingness to improve relations
with the USA. At the same time, India
now seems to be desirous to gain for it
what it sees as the countrys rightful
place in the world consistent with its
size and capability. India has not only
tested nuclear devices but also has
taken a tough position on the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)
insisting on linking this to a time bound
framework for universal nuclear
disarmament. India continues to refuse
to sign the CTBT and the Non-
Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in their
present form, arguing that these
treaties discriminate against her and
serve principally the interests of the
recognised western nuclear states. It is
pointed out that in the new world order
FOREIGN POLICY OF INDIA : DETERMINANTS AND BASIC PRINCIPLES
in the era of globalisation Indias
principal aspiration in foreign policy has
been to take note of the changes in the
world around it without being
overwhelmed by them.
At the same time, the Indian policy
planners are facing various challenges
which they would have to take note of.
It is not only that in the post Cold War
era the new polarities are emerging but
the very philosophy and purpose
behind non-alignment does not seem
to be the same as it was. The non-
aligned oil-producing countries of
West-Asia, North Africa and Latin
America had already become a
separate special interest group.
Several non-aligned members of
Asia-pacific region have achieved
high rates of growth through their
own efforts. Similar regional
associations and groups are becoming
more important than global
organisations. Growth of funda-
mentalism, terrorism, separatist
movements world over and
international concerns for issues
like Human Rights, environment,
sustainable development, etc. are
also new determinants of the foreign
policy in the present world. India too
has to deal with it.
Keeping in view its national interest
particularly to maintain unity and
integrity of India and socio-economic
development and transformation,
based on its tradition of plurality and
tolerance and commitments to values
established during nationalist
movement as a reaction to colonialism
India adopted a foreign polity based on
201
principles of non-alignment, peaceful
coexistence, and friendship with all.
The policy of non-alignment by and
large turned out to be in her best interest.
Therefore, India had continued with the
basic characteristics of this policy
irrespective of changes in governments. At
the same time, keeping in view the
developments in international politics from
time to time changes and adjustments
have been made in this policy. But, these
changes have been more in Indias
relations with specific countries rather
than in the basic elements of foreign
policy. Right from the beginning, it was
clear that non-alignment was not on end
in itself. It was an instrument of policy
designed to safeguard interests of the
country. Therefore, it was not a static
policy but subject to change in accordance
with needs.
The sudden and important
developments in international politics
in 1990s have brought both NAM and
Indias foreign policy at cross roads. At
one time it seemed that non-alignment
has lost its grounds. Soon it became
clear that NAM in many ways
continues to be relevant in the areas of
democratisation of international
relations, establishment of new
international economic order, security
and well being of small states, resolution
of regional conflicts and development,
etc. Therefore, it is not necessary for
India to abandon its valid ideals or
moral principles. But at the same time
it is important to keep in mind what
Jawaharlal Nehru once said, that
Whatever policy we may lay down, the
art of conducting the foreign affairs of a
202 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

country lies in finding what is most India attempted a synthesis of

advantageous to the country. India,
therefore, has to be very careful in
determining its foreign policy and
relations with other countries. Our first
concern has to be to prevent any erosion
of our independence . Of course, our
interest in the maintenance and
safeguarding of international peace, as
an essential condition for our socio-
economic development, continues. What
is important to keep in mind is that Non-
Alignment is not a dogma. It is a
dynamic process. India has in the past
taken an enlightened and a broader view
of its interests. Hence, in evolving the
components of its national interests,
nationalism and internationalism, a
combination which gave much of the
positive content to the concept of Non-
Alignment. The promotion of enlightened
self-interest remains the most important
aspect of Indias foreign policy and that
of Non-Alignment. It is obvious that
Non-Alignment is a means and not an
end in itself. The end is the achievement
of national and international objectives.
India, therefore, has to formulate its
foreign policy accordingly. Of course it
is equally important to remember that
politics without vision, devoid of beliefs,
ideals, principles and values is debased
of human dignity and national purpose.

EXERCISES

1. Describe the internal and external determinants of Indias foreign policy.

2. What are the basic principles of Indias foreign policy? Explain.
3. Explain the meaning of Non-Alignment and distinguish it from neutrality.
4. Describe the importance of Non-Alignment in Indias foreign policy.
5. Assess the importance of globalisation in Indias foreign policy.
6. Write short notes on the following:
(i) Peaceful Coexistence;
(ii) Indias role in the UN;
(iii) India and Global peace.

CHAPTER 17
India and Her Neighbours
Nepal, Sri Lanka, China, Bangladesh and Pakistan
Y OU have read that the basic
principles of Indias foreign policy
are non-alignment, global peace,
peaceful coexistence, disarmament,
international cooperation and struggle
against various manifestations of
injustice like imperialism, colonialism,
racism, etc. These principles had been
adopted, apart from commitment to and
preference for a value system in view of
the enlightened national interest of
India. Both the national interest and
commitment to values first of all
demand maintenance of relations with
neighbours. India has a large number
of neighbours. It is the largest country
in the South Asian region and shares
borders with all the countries of the
region that is Nepal, Bangladesh,
Bhutan, Maldives, Sri Lanka and
Pakistan. It shares long borders with
China, Myanmar and Afghanistan. As
a part of its overall policy of peaceful
coexistence India has consistently
sought peaceful, cordial and friendly
relations with all its neighbours. Being
neighbours, however, there also had
been problems arising out of historical
factors, mis-interpretations, external
203
interventions and overall developments
in international politics. Therefore, the
relations with all the neighbours had
not been the same. There had been ups
and downs, differences, adjustments
and changes. The process continues
to be on. In this chapter, we will have a
brief description about Indias
relations with some of its neighbours
to understand an overall situation
of the region.
INDIA AND NEPAL
No other two countries in the world
share as extensive and intimate ties as
India and Nepal do. These two South
Asian neighbours share 1,700 Km of
completely open, geographically
contiguous and therefore, easily
accessible border. The magnificent
Himalayas, for centuries in the past,
acted as barriers to the oncoming
influence and military adventures from
the north. The Nepali and Indian
peoples have close religious and
linguistic affinities, they celebrate
similar cultural festivals, follow similar
customs, rituals and live a life
204 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
embedded in common social hierarchies
and structures.
For centuries there have been open
borders between the two countries and
there had also been a free flow of people
and goods across the traditional
boundaries. British colonial rulers did
not annex Nepal. They negotiated its
subordination. Accordingly, Rana,
rulers of Nepal agreed to send Gurkha
soldiers to the English Army and Nepali
labourers for building the railways and
roads in the colonies.
When India became independent,
apart from shared cultural values, there
also emerged shared security concerns
between India and Nepal. Both of them
established friendly relations between
the two countries in July 1950 and
signed a treaty of Peace and Friendship.
Thereafter, the relations between the
two have been governed by this treaty.
The T reaty had two major
dimensions. One regarding the mutual
security concerns and the other
regarding socio-cultural and economic
interaction. The two governments
agreed not only to have everlasting
peace and friendship between them but
not to tolerate any threat to the security
of either by a foreign aggressor. The
treaty permitted Nepal to import
defence equipment from or through
India. Both the governments undertook
to give each others nationals equal
treatment with their own nationals in
the matter of residence, ownership of
property and participation in trade and
commerce. Accordingly, the people of
the two sovereign countries have had
open access to each other, without
passports, permits etc. Nepalese
citizens have had the right to work in
virtually all government services in
India, barring the three top civil services
the IAS, IPS and IFS. Indian traders,
teachers and other professionals have
helped build Nepal as has Nepalese
labour contributed to the economies of
several Indian regions.
DRIFTING AWAY
The decades of 1960s and 1970s saw
some bitterness in relations between
the two countries. The reasons for this
were many. There had been a growing
a movement for democracy in Nepal.
Democratic forces represented by the
Nepali Congress secured electoral
victory in 1959. But in December
1960, King Mahendra dismissed the
elected government and imprisoned
Nepali Congress leaders including
Prime Minister B.P. Koirala. India was
in favour of democracy to the disliking
of King Mahendra. At the same time
China was trying to appease Nepal.
King Mahendra found it useful both
for dealing with Nepali Congress
domestically and distancing Nepal
from India.
Chinese aggression on India in
1962 brought a temporary thaw in
bitterness. Under the pressure of war
and its outcome India had to relent on
its sympathies for the democratic forces
in Nepal and take prompt and effective
steps to make up with the king. The
long term adverse implications for
security in the sub- continent were
also realised by the king. Therefore, he
INDIA AND HER NEIGHBOURS
agreed to meet Indias security
sensitivities. In January 1965, through
an exchange of letters, the Nepalese
government agreed to seek extensive
support from India in training,
equipment and modernisation of the
Nepalese army.
This understanding remained short
lived. China seemed to have been
placating Nepal well and King
Mahendra seemed to be in favour of
distancing Nepal from India. Years
1971-72 witnessed the involvement of
China in development projects in the
Tarai region of Nepal in complete
disregard of Indias sanctities,
provisions of 1950 treaty and assurance
given by Nepal in 1965. Nepal was also
being used by China and some of the
western nations to promote the entry
of their own products into India. Nepal
wanted to legalise this trade. But India
only agreed that primary products of
Nepal will have unrestricted entry into
the Indian market without any
obligation to pay custom duties.
King Birendra who ascended the
Nepalese throne on his fathers death
in January 1972 carried forward his
fathers policy of distancing Nepal
from India with added vigour and
determination. Indias war for liberation
of Bangladesh and inclusion of Sikkim
in its territories were seen with a degree
of alarm in Nepal. In 1975 Nepal
proposed itself to be a Zone of Peace.
This proposal sought to establish
Nepals relations with all countries of
the world and particularly with its
neighbours on the basis of equality.
Nepal also wanted guarantees that
205
adversaries of the system would not
secure support or protection in any of
the countries.
India, nevertheless, favoured better
relations between the two countries. In
1973 Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
visited Nepal and next year
King Birendra came to India.
Both stressed the need for mature
and sober bilateral relations.
RESTORATION
The Janata government which came to
power in 1977 took special measures
to improve relations with Nepal. The
government in 1978 agreed to have two
treaties for trade and transit which were
governed by one treaty so far. Under
the transit treaty, India gave Nepal
concessional access to port facilities in
Calcutta and also subsidised
warehousing facilities. Under this trade
treaty both countries agreed to exempt
customs duty and quantitative
restrictions on mutually agreed basic
commodities. India also agreed to wave
customs duties on Nepalese industrial
products which had atleast 80 per cent
Nepalese or Indian raw material. These
treaties remained in force till 1989.
Failure to conclude a new trade treaty
that year once again created bitterness
between the two countries.
Restoration of multi party
democracy in Nepal in April 1990,
however, began a new era of cordial
relations between India and Nepal. Two
treaties on Transit and Trade that
had lapsed in 1989, were signed
in December 1991. Prime Minister
206 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
G.P. Koirala on his visit to India in
December 1991 assured that Nepal was
no longer dependent on China to meet
its security concerns. The Treaties of
Trade and Transit were amended in
1993 and further extended for five years
in March 2002.
In 1994, King of Nepal visited India
and Prime Minister of India visited
Kathmandu. The first ever communist
Prime Minister of Nepal, Manmohan
Adhikari visited India twice within a
period of six months in 1995. The two
governments signed in February 1996
a treaty concerning the Integrated
Development of River Projects in Nepal.
India and Nepal are also cooperating
well in South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
In general, Indo-Nepal relations
have remained cordial. There have been
occasional changes in the parameters
primarily due to Nepals internal
domestic situation, particularly
differences between forces supporting
democracy and monarchy, as also
external pressures, like that of China.
Learning from the sore experiences of
the early sixties, India has been
extremely cautious in avoiding offence
to the Monarchs political sensitivities.
India has never been hesitant or shy in
fulfilling its obligations towards Nepal.
The open border regime between the
two countries is unique in the world.
Today, it is estimated that about six
million Nepalese are in India and
millions of Indians have settled in Nepal.
The open border system is also
sometimes used by criminals,
smugglers and underground gangs. In
recent years Pakistan Inter Services
Intelligence (ISI) activities against India
from Nepal have also been reported.
Government of Nepal has helped to curb
such hostile activities by cooperating
with India as and when such co-
operation has been sought. In view of
closeness but vast differences in size and
population in respective political
systems some aberrations in the
relations do emerge occasionally. King
Birendra and his family members were
assassinated in early 2002, anti-India
demonstrations and other provocations
could have created tensions. But the
two governments behaved in a
responsible manner. Again at the
dismissal of democratic government in
October 2002 by King Gyanendra,
India preferred not to interfere in the
internal affairs of that country, despite
its preference for democracy. Both India
and Nepal share security concerns.
Both have to appreciate each others
priorities and domestic constraints for
a better relationship.
INDIA AND SRI LANKA
Sri Lanka, a small island in the middle
of Indian Ocean, is another country
which apart from geographical
proximity to India, has bonds of
cultural and traditional affinity with it
for more than four thousand years.
Almost the entire population of Sri
Lanka including its two major ethnic
groups, the Sinhalese and Tamils,
migrated at one time or the other from
India. The Sinhalese consisting of about
74 per cent of population trace their
INDIA AND HER NEIGHBOURS
ancestors to Aryans from eastern India.
Almost all of them have embraced
Buddhism and have gradually
developed roots in different parts of the
island and got assimilated with the
indigenous inhabitants. The Tamils
who constitute about 18 per cent of the
population are mostly Hindus and,
trace their roots to Dravidians of Tamil
Nadu. In fact there are two groups of
Tamils. One who have been in Lanka
for long and are as much indigenous
to the island as the Sinhalese are. The
other, known as Indian Tamils, are the
descendants of the Tamil plantation
workers who went to Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
under British patronage to provide the
much needed labour for the
development of coffee, tea and rubber
plantation.
Sri Lanka had been a colony since
Seventeenth century first of Portugese,
then of Dutch and finally the
British. It attained independence on
4 February, 1948. Though small Sri
Lanka is strategically quite important.
It is the main connecting link to the air
passage from West Asia to Australia,
New Zealand and East Asia. Its position
on a major highway in the international
air and ocean trade route as well as its
physical closeness to India makes it
important for world powers. In the
hands of inimical powers Sri Lanka can
gravely endanger Indias security. So,
Indias interest in Sri Lanka have been
both economic and strategic. Being
small and weak with limited military
potential and lying within Indias
periphery, it is difficult for Sri Lanka to
pursue a foreign policy opposed to the
207
interests of India. However, at the same
time Western powers and Chinese
interest in Sri Lanka have also been
influencing its relations with India.
Though part of South Asian region, Sri
Lanka is geographically close only to
India and, therefore, is not affected
much by the bilateral developments of
other countries.
In view of the above factors India-
Sri Lanka relations have generally, been
cordial. After independence Sri Lanka
also followed the policy of non-
alignment and declared six cardinal
principles of its foreign policy:
(i) Friendship with all nations;
(ii) Peaceful Coexistence; (iii) Greater
regional cooperation; (iv) Freedom to
take decisions on national and
international matters; (v) Support for
national independence movements in
countries still under colonial influence
and domination; and (vi) Championship
of the cause of disarmament.
Thus, in the early years India and
Sri Lanka saw similarity of visions and
interests. Both the countries expressed
similarity of opinion on various
inter national crises. However,
developments during 1960s and 1970s
brought some changes in their
perception. Sri Lanka adopted an
increasingly neutral posture in respect
of Chinese aggression on India as also
Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971. In
1971, deep suspicious were aroused in
India over the extension of landing and
refuelling facilities by Sri Lanka to
Pakistani planes flying to and from East
Pakistan. In fact with the change in the
regional balance of power and creation
208 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka had developed
some apprehensions against India. Sri
Lanka was afraid of coming close to
India and Soviet Union as reflected by
the Indo-Soviet Treaty of Friendship,
1971. Sri Lanka began to cultivate more
friendly relations with the USA, China
and Pakistan. But there was no hostility
against India. The outbreak of ethnic
violence in Sri Lanka in early 1980,
however, brought the relations between
India and Sri Lanka to their bottom
rock.
ETHNIC CONFLICT AND INDIA SRI
LANKA RELATIONS
As mentioned in the beginning, about
18 per cent of Sri Lankan population
consists of Tamil migrants from
India. A large number of Tamilian
population, particularly of Sri Lankan
Tamils, are concentrated in northern
and eastern provinces and districts. After
independence, Sri Lanka started
creating a new State on the basis of
language and religion of majority
community that is Sinhalese. The Tamils
naturally resented these. They were in
favour of federalism in Sri Lanka. From
1970s, Sri Lankan government also
introduced reservations for Sinhalese in
admission to the universities and
recruitment to government services.
Another aspect of discrimination was
the land colonisation of traditional Tamil
homelands in the eastern province by
Sinhalese population.
In view of the above, the Tamils
started demanding a federal state. They
started peaceful agitation for the same.
By 1977 there was a tilt in their
demand which turned into demanding
separation. The agitation for separation
gradually started taking militant shape.
Rise of militancy, specially among the
youth, was for various factors. These
were (i) the disenchantment of the Tamil
youth with parliamentary democracy
as was practiced in Sri Lanka
which meant the rule by Sinhalese
majority; (ii) their intense pride in
Tamil language and Tamil culture;
(iii) lack of employment opportunities
coupled with discrimination in
admission to educational institutions
and recruitment to jobs; (iv) their
disenchantment with the traditional
leadership who were willing to
compromise on Tamil rights; (v) their
belief and commitment that only violent
struggle would enable them to achieve
their goal; and (vi) only a separate state
of Tamil Eelam would provide security
and safety to Tamils. With these
perceptions from a small number in
early 1980s the number of Tamil
militants began to increase in large
numbers and in 1983 got organised
under Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE). In view of geographical contiguity
of Tamil Nadu and the sympathy of
Tamils, LTTE was able to get support
from some Tamil groups in India. Indian
government while committed to
upholding the unity and integrity of Sri
Lanka favoured a peaceful solution. It
was also concerned with the arrival of
Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka.
Immediately after 1983, violent
upsurges brought India-Sri Lanka
relations under cloud. Sri Lanka looked
INDIA AND HER NEIGHBOURS
for assistance from countries like the
UK, the USA, Israel, Pakistan, etc. The
Western countries, however, advised Sri
Lanka to use good offices of India to find
an amicable solution. This resulted in
India-Sri Lanka accord signed between
two countries in July 1987. Indian
Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF) were sent
to Sri Lanka to restore normalcy. This,
however, became controversial. Indian
forces received criticism from both
sides. By some it was alleged that they
were fighting against Tamils, while some
in Sri Lanka looked upon this as
interference in Sri Lankas internal
affairs. In general sending of IPKF to Sri
Lanka did not prove useful. They were
called back and by March 1990 they
were completely out of Sri Lanka. In
1991, during Lok Sabha election
campaign, former Prime Minister of
India, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated
allegedly by LTTE militants. Although
India had taken positive measures to
ensure that Indian territory was not
used for anti-Sri Lanka forces but
suspicions remain. India also has
banned LTTE as a terrorist outfit.
Since 1991 after the assassination
of Rajiv Gandhi in India and Sri Lankan
presidential candidate Gamini
Dissanayake a better understanding
between the two countries emerged on
the handling of ethnic violence and
terrorism. Towards this, Indias policy
toward Sri Lanka consists of three
fold commitment (i) to the unity,
sovereignty and territorial integrity of
Sri Lanka; (ii) to the restoration of
lasting peace in Sri Lanka; and
(iii) to a peaceful, political process
209
which is the only means of achieving
a lasting peace.
For quite some time now the two
countries are working towards
strengthening bilateral relations in all
fields of mutual interest, especially in
the economic sector. In recent years top
leaders of India and Sri Lanka have
visited each other on several occasions.
In September 2002, Sri Lanka started
negotiating with LTTE for a peaceful
settlement. India was taken into
confidence. In joint statements India
and Sri Lanka had agreed that global
terrorism is a threat to international
peace and security. They agree that
terrorist acts cannot be justified on
political, ethnic, religious, social or
economic grounds. It seems that India
and Sri Lanka are aiming at
maintaining close, cordial and
cooperative relations, building on the
considerable legacy of historic links,
common culture, shared commitment
to democracy and a general orientation
towards non-alignment.
INDIA AND CHINA
Among Indias neighbours a great
power and a big country is China. India
and China not only share a border of
more than 4,000 km but both are
ancient civilisations and have
relationship with each other for
thousands of years. Buddhism arrived
in China from India in A.D. 65 . Over
the next 4-5 centuries, hundreds of
Chinese scholars visited India to learn
Buddhism. Among the more well
known Chinese scholars who visited
210 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
India are: Fa-Hien, Huen-Tsang and Yi
Tsing. Many Indian scholars especially
Kashmiris also visited China during this
period.
Nationalist movements in the two
countries against colonial oppression
led to some renewed contacts in the
late eighteenth and early nineteenth
century. Chinese leader Sun Yat Sen
maintained contacts with some Indian
revolutionaries such as Ras Bihari
Bose, M.N. Roy, et.al. Rabindranath
Tagore visited China in 1924.
INDIA CHINA RELATIONS SINCE 1947
On 1 October, 1949, formation of the
Peoples Republic of China (PRC) that is
communist China was proclaimed. India
was among the first countries to recognise
the Peoples Republic of China on 30
December, 1949. India supported
Communist Chinas claim for
representation in the UN, even at the cost
of displeasure of several non-communist
countries, particularly the USA.
Thus, India and Peoples Republic
of China began with very friendly and
cordial relations. On 1 April, 1950
diplomatic relations between the two
were established. An agreement
between India and China on Trade
signed on 29 April, 1954. Chinese
premier Zhou En lai visited India in
June 1954. The two prime Ministers
jointly enunciated the five principles of
peaceful coexistence, which came to be
known as principles of Panchsheel.
These were: (i) mutual respect for each
others territorial integrity and
sovereignty; (ii) mutual non-
aggression; (iii) mutual non-
interference in each others internal
affairs; (iv) equality and mutual
benefit, and (v) peaceful coexistence.
Another trade agreement between
India and China was signed on
14 October, 1954. Indian Prime
Minister Jawaharlal Nehru visited China
in October 1954 and Chinese Prime
Minister Zhou En lai again visited India
in November 1956. The friendship
between the two countries reached its
zenith at the Bandung conference of
Afro-Asian nations in 1955. After this
Conference, India gave full moral and
diplomatic support to China. China
supported Indias claim to Portuguese
possession of Goa. Thus, up to 1957
mutual affirmation of indestructible
friendship between the two countries
continued. From 1957 onwards there
started a decline in these relations. It
was primarily for two reasons firstly,
because of Chinese territorial claims
in India; and secondly, differences
over Tibet.
BORDER DISPUTES AND TIBET
Though India in general has not
opposed Chinese claims over Tibet,
but, there were some differences
between the two countries over some
actions of China. Tibet, a province of
China, is on the northern borders of
India. In the past, T ibet was an
independent State. From eighteenth
century, for historical reasons, it
has been considered a part of
China. However, Dalai Lama was
considered by the people the
INDIA AND HER NEIGHBOURS
legitimate ruler of autonomous
Tibet. From 1911 onwards, Chinese
were not able to exercise their effective
control over Tibet. After establishment
of Peoples Republic of China the
government expressed its desire to
establish firm control over Tibet, but
through negotiations. In October 1950,
China launched a full scale invasion on
Tibet. India expressed its protest on
this armed action. China accused India
of being influenced by imperial powers.
India, of course, clarified that it
recognised Chinese suzerainty and had
no intention of interfering in Chinas
internal affairs.
In 1959, there was a sudden
uprising in the capital of Tibet. The
revolt was put down by China with a
heavy hand. The Dalai Lama fled from
Tibet and sought asylum in India. He
along with thousands of Tibetan was
given political asylum in India but was
advised not to organise any anti-
Chinese resistance on Indian soil. China
did not like Indias sympathies to
Tibetans and described the grant of
asylum to Dalai Lama as an enemy-like
act. India was even charged as
expansionist.
Parallel to developments in Tibet,
China also was staking claims on some
of the Indian territories as belonging to
them. In 1957, it started intruding in
Ladakh. In September 1959, the
Government of China laid a formal claim
to 128,000 Sq. km of Indian Territory
in Ladakh and in the North East
Frontier Agency (now Arunachal
Pradesh). The Prime Ministers of India
and China met in Delhi in 1960 to
211
discuss the boundary issue. This was
followed by the meetings between
officials of the two sides. However, on
8 September, 1962, China started
aggression in the Eastern sector of
India-China boundary in the NEFA
region. The Chinese forces mounted an
all out attack on 20 October, 1962 on
Indian defence forces along the entire
India-China boundary. As a result of
this, China additionally acquired about
6,400 Sq. km of Indian Territory. On
21 November, the Chinese declared a
unilateral cease-fire. It, however,
refused to restore the status quo as it
prevailed before the aggression. China
thus still holds large tracts of Indian
Territory and claims approximately
90,000 Sq. kms of Indian Territory in
the Eastern sector of India-China
boundary in Arunachal Pradesh.
From this period onward, till the
middle of 1970s, China had a hostile
attitude towards India. During the
India-Pakistan conflict in 1965, the
Chinese side extended material
assistance to Pakistan and its official
statement accused India of criminal
aggression. During the India-Pakistan
conflict in 1971, China again criticised
India for gross interference in the
internal affairs of Pakistan. On merger
of Sikkim in India in 1975, China
issued a statement and called it as
illegal annexation. China has not yet
officially recognised Sikkim as an
integral part of India. Earlier China was
also angry with India on its nuclear
tests in 1974, though India had
announced that its nuclear programme
was for peaceful purposes. As such it
212 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
seemed that from 1958 to 1975 China
looked at India as its major geostrategic
rival and was bent upon keeping
India down.
TOWARDS NORMALISATION
From the above it becomes clear that
the relationship between China and
India has been ambivalent. On the one
hand, the two nations sought good
relations in the early years of cold war
when developing and non-aligned
countries were keen to keep their
distance from super-power politics. On
the other hand, both India and China
being the only regional powers of size
looked like rivals. China was in
confrontation both with Western and
Soviet powers and had been expressing
strong views on most international
issues. The situation, however, started
changing from 1975 onwards.
According to Jagat S. Mehta, China
perhaps perceived that India had
emerged politically self-confident and
economically resilient after the
Bangladesh crisis even in the face of the
US-China tilt towards Pakistan. At the
same time Chinas own position was
being recognised in the international
community. It was officially admitted
into the United Nations including the
Security Council in 1971 by replacing
Taiwan. It has already been mentioned
that India has consistently followed the
one-China policy, despite ups and
downs in bilateral relations. Both India
and China started talking on the theme
of traditional friendship between the
two countries. Immediate outcome of
this was that in 1976, the two countries
restored ambassadorial level relations
after 15 years.
In 1976-1977 other developments
in the two countries further paved
the way for normalisation of relations.
Hardliner Mao Ze dong, the supreme
leader of China, died in 1976. In 1977,
India for the first time a non-Congress
party that is Janata Party came to power
at the Centre. As explained elsewhere
to establish its credibility, one of the
policy of Janata governments was to
improve relations with neighbouring
countries. Thus, in February 1979
External Affairs Minister, Atal Bihari
Vajpayee visited China. India and China
had resumed trade in 1978. Indira
Gandhi, when back to power in 1980,
continued the initiatives taken by the
Janata government. She met the then
Chinese premier Hu Kuo-feng in
May 1980 at Belgrade, during President
Titos funeral. After 1961 it was the
first meeting between the two
countries at this level. There after
several rounds of talks at different
levels took place between the two
countries, though differences on
boundary issues persisted.
The visit of Prime Minister Rajiv
Gandhi to China in 1988 marked the
resumption of political dialogue at the
highest level. The two sides decided to set
up a Joint Working Group to discuss the
boundary question. Since then President
Venkataraman visited China in 1992,
Prime Minister Narasimha Rao in 1993,
and the then Vice-President K.R.
INDIA AND HER NEIGHBOURS
Narayanan in 1994. From the Chinese
side, Premier Lipeng visited India in 1991
and president Jiang Zemin in 1996.
Once again in 1998 there came a
temporary set back when India tested
nuclear bomb, and gave Chinese threat
as one of the reasons. China joined the
consensus among the Permanent
Members of the Security Council and
the G-8 countries condemning the
tests. In fact, China had been the most
strident critic of Indias nuclear policy
in the interim. The trip to China by
Indian Foreign Minister in June 1999
helped reduce the bitterness. Chinas
anger about Indias nuclear tests
seemed to have subsided, top level visits
were back on track and both sides
seemed determined to work towards a
more positive relationship. Thus, on the
occasion of the 50th anniversary of the
establishment of diplomatic relations
between the two countries, the
President of India, Shri K.R. Narayanan
paid a state visit to China in May-June
2000. Li Peng Chairman of the Standing
Committee of the National Peoples
Congress visited India in January 2001.
In January 2002, Chinese Premier Zhu
Rongji paid an official visit to India.
During these visits leaders have
stressed that India and China do not
consider each other as a threat and
would like to maintain good
neighbourly and friendly relations. For
China, with its economic reforms and
development, Indias fast-growing
domestic market is important. A strong
Indian ally could also create a powerful
regional axis to counterbalance the
213
global dominance of the United States.
India also has much to gain from
cooperation with China. A settled border
with China would facilitate the
stabilisation of the troubled north-
eastern region in Indias domestic
politics and reduce opportunities for
mischief in its external relations with
Bhutan and Nepal. It will also help in
dealing with Pakistan. It may be
mentioned here that China was not
happy with Pakistans incursion into
Kargil in 1999.
In the new historical and objective
situation China and India have entered
a new stage of relationship. In the
words of former President of India K.R.
Narayanan. We have a very good
opportunity for exchange of goods and
ideas. We have real opportunity to put
technical content in our ancient
cultural friendship. And in Chinese
Premier Zhus words, as the two
largest developing countries in the
world, India and China shoulder
important responsibilities for
maintaining peace, stability and
prosperity in Asia. It is in this spirit
that India and China are moving ahead
in different areas of bilateral relations
such as trade, cultural exchanges,
security and foreign office dialogues,
science and technology cooperation
and efforts to resolve border disputes
also. India has made it clear that it
seeks friendly, cooperative, good
neighbourly and mutually beneficial
relations with China on the basis of
Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence
jointly enunciated by India and China
214 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
as Panchsheel. Long-term stable
relationship between the two is
important for the mutual benefits of
India and China and also for peace in
the region.
INDIA AND BANGLADESH
Bangladesh had emerged as an
independent nation in 1971 discarding
the two-nations theory which was the
basis of Indias partition in 1947. As you
have already read, India played a very
significant role in creation of Bangladesh
(erstwhile East Pakistan) and was the first
country to recognise it as a sovereign
state. One of the causes leading to the
separation of Bangladesh from Pakistan
was its geographical location which
made it more a part of the eastern rather
than the western region. The location of
Bangladesh in the sub-continent is
strategically significant. It is surrounded
on three sides by India on its western,
northern and eastern sides. On its south-
eastern side is borders of Myanmar. On
its southern areas are waters of Bay of
Bengal.
In the background of having played
a crucial role in its liberation struggle
and geographical location of
Bangladesh, India has special interests
in its relations with her. Involvement of
India in Bangladesh liberation also
created a large number of committed
friends/foes of India. Both of them have
been playing important roles in
determining relationship between the
two countries. Some external factors
have also been playing some role in the
development of these relations.
Important of these have been China
and forces of pan-Islamism. Therefore,
there had been some ups and
downs, cordialities and bitterness in
India-Bangladesh relations in specific
contexts and at specific times.
THE EARLY PHASE
In the early years of its existence
Bangladesh, in view of Indias role
and help in its liberation, had a
sense of obligation and thankfulness
towards India. Also in view of its
economic position and developmental
needs, it was looking towards India
for help. It may be mentioned
here that Bangladesh is the eighth
most populous country in the
world. At the same time it is one of
the poorest countries. In view of these
factors in the initial years under the
leadership of Shiekh Mujibar Rehman
Bangladeshs relations with India
were very friendly. Mujibar Rehmans
first visit as Prime Minister of
Bangladesh was to India. During
this visit, it was resolved that
Indo-Bangladesh relations would
be guided by the principles of
democracy, socialism, secularism, non-
alignment and opposition to racialism
and colonialism in all forms
and manifestations. India assured
Bangladesh that it would never interfere
in its internal affairs. Shiekh Mujibar
Rehmans visit was returned by Indira
Gandhis official visit to Bangladesh in
March, 1972. On the conclusion of this
visit a Treaty of Friendship and Peace
was signed between the two countries.
Indo-Bangladesh Trade Pact was also
INDIA AND HER NEIGHBOURS
signed. Although there existed some
differences with India, they were not
considered significant enough.
The forces inimical to national
liberation struggle were also present
in Bangladesh. Immediately after
independence, these forces started
launching anti-India tirade. Sheikh
Mujibar Rehman took certain
measures to curb anti-India
propaganda. In 1974 Indo-Bangladesh
border agreement was signed. Steps
were taken to resolve Ganga-water
dispute and the related problems
concerning the Farakkha barrage
constructed in India to augment water
supply into the river Hoogly. There was
an interim agreement on water sharing.
Talks were also initiated regarding the
exchange of areas in each others
territories. Thus, bilateral problems
between the two countries were
discussed in an atmosphere of utmost
friendship and despite attempts by
anti-India forces to exploit these
problems for creating anti-India
hysteria, these were not allowed to go
beyond manageable limits.
On 15 August, 1975, the creator of
Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibar Rehman
along with his entire family except two
daughters (who were abroad) were
assassinated, in a coup by some army
officers. As already mentioned there
were anti-India forces in Bangladesh.
With the assassination of Mujibar
Rehman these forces became vocal and
in some cases hysterical. General Zia-
Ur-Rehman who took over power was
to consolidate his position. Naturally,
he received support from reactionary
215
communal forces which were initially
opposed to independence of
Bangladesh and had supported the
Pakistan occupation army. The other
pillar of support was ultra-leftist pro-
Chinese elements which were highly
critical of Indias role in liberation
and branded it as an expansionist
power eager to grab Bangladesh.
Internationally the support came from
the Islamic world, the Western powers
and China, all of whom at that time were
critical of India. In such a situation Zia-
Ur-Rahman went with projection of
India as the enemy of independence and
territorial integrity of Bangladesh.
Thus, during the period of Zia-Ur-
Rehman, bilateral problems with India
became more complicated and hostile
postures did not help to sort out
differences in perceptions. There were,
however, some changes when Janata
Party came to power in India in 1977.
The Janata government, as with Nepal
and Pakistan, adopted a soft attitude
even towards military regime in
Bangladesh. An interim agreement on
sharing Ganga waters during
lean months was signed between the
two countries. However, other
disputes emerged.
Zia-Ur-Rehman was also assas-
sinated in 1981. After a short interval
of few months, Lt. General H.M. Ershad
staged a bloodless coup and established
his own military dictatorship in the
country. Under Ershad anti-India and
anti-Soviet Union plank was
maintained. Political changes in India
and the return of Indira Gandhi to
power, though not welcome to the
216 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
military regime, did have a sobering
impact on anti-India tirade, who at the
same time vigorously pursued the idea
of regional cooperation. He received
support from South Asian nations
including India and Pakistan and there
came up in 1985 South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation
(SAARC). This brought some relaxation
in both multilateral and bilateral
relations in the region. A step in
improvement of relations also came with
Indias agreement to give Teen
Beegha Corridor to Bangladesh on
perpetual lease.
With the restoration of democracy
in Bangladesh in 1990, there also
started a move towards improvement
of relations with India. Teen Beegha
Corridor was formally transferred to
Bangladesh on 26 June, 1992. India
and Bangladesh also agreed to
formulate a comprehensive plan for
sharing of the water resources.
Negotiations during 1994 led to the
repatriation of Chakma refugees from
Tripura to Chitagong Hill tracts in
Bangladesh. Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina Wajed, daughter of Mujibur
Rehman, took pains to improve
relations with India. She visited India
in December 1996 and signed an
accord with India on the sharing of
Ganga waters for the next 30 years.
She again visited India in 1998
and 1999. In any case India had been
committed to better relations
with Bangladesh.
However, there are emerging some
other problems. One of these is
continous influx of illegal immigrants
to India from Bangladesh. Another
problem, arising particularly since
1990s is the rise of Islamic
fundamentalist forces. The Pakistani
ISI is reported to have been making use
of these forces for its activities against
India. In 2002, party of General Zia-
Ur-Rehmans wife came to power with
the support of some anti-India elements
who are hostile but lukewarm in
their attitude. Non-Islamic forces in
connivance with Pakistan are also taking
interest in consolidation of Islamisation
of Bangladesh. The Pakistan President,
Pervez Musharraf, during his visit to
Bangladesh in the end of July 2002,
went to the extent of expressing regrets
for the excesses committed by his
countrys Army 32 years ago in war of
liberation of Bangladesh. The
unqualified regrets expressed by the
Pakistan President undoubtedly, marks
a new beginning in the Pakistan-
Bangladesh relations of which India will
have to take due notice.
INDIA AND PAKISTAN
Among its South Asian neighbours it
is only with Pakistan that India has not
been able to improve relations at the
desirable level. Both India and
Pakistan form the parts of the same land
mass with common historical legacies
and with no natural barriers. The two
belong to a single civilisation. There are
many more things in common between
them making them to be the closest. Yet
for the last 55 years India and Pakistan
INDIA AND HER NEIGHBOURS
have stared at each other. India has
consistently sought peaceful, cordial
and friendly relations with Pakistan. At
times some of the Pakistani leaders also
have desired and attempted for such
relations, but certain historical factors,
differences between political systems of
the two countries, internal political
situation of Pakistan, the geo-political
settings and ideological differences so
far have kept the two at logger heads.
To understand the nature of Indo-Pak
relations, it is important to know some
historical and geographical factors that
determine the relations between the two.
HISTORICAL AND GEOPOLITICAL
FACTORS
Indias history as a society and polity
is thousands of years old whereas
Pakistans existence is only from 1947.
It has no monumental and historical
legacies and traditions separate from
India. Being a result of separation from
India half of Pakistans land frontier is
with India. As a pre-independence
orientation of foreign policy while India
was formulating a vision in the context
of its future role in Inter national
community, Pakistans heritage was
aspirations, and expressions of
Muslim League since its emergence in
1906. It was manifested in their
two-nation theory, and communal
apprehensions. Added to all these
historical factors to influence Indo-Pak
relations were communal holocaust and
displacement of population during
partition, disputes over the partition of
217
assets, and accession of princely states,
including Kashmir.
India with a long history and
nationalist movement behind it,
adopted a foreign policy based on
principles of non-alignment, friendship
and cooperation. Pakistan with no
socio-cultural differences with India
had to justify its establishment as a
separate nation. For this religion, that
is Islam, was considered to be the basis
of its political structure. Pakistans
rulers felt that other factors were not
probably as much important for its
sustenance as Islam. Therefore,
Pakistans foreign policy primarily was
based on pan-Islamism. Rulers of
Pakistan also believed that India has
not accepted the reality of partition.
They, therefore, looked towards India
with suspicion and viewed every action
of India as a design against the very
existence of Pakistan. An obvious
consequence of this view point has been
anti-Indianism. The Pakistani ruling
elite has always raised the bogey of anti-
Indianism so as to sustain their
interests in the domestic politics of the
country.
Another important factor of
difference between India and Pakistan
has been consolidation of democracy in
India and dominant role of army in
Pakistan. Pakistans self assumed
rivalry with India, need to acquire
stability, legitimacy, and recognition,
and desire to provide a leadership to
the Islamic countries have created a
desire to accumulate power and
demonstrate it. This has shifted centre
218 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
of power from its people to the
military establishment. Neither the
Parliamentary nor the Presidential
forms of government, which were
experimented, could bring stability in
the country. After 1953 the military has
been playing a dominant role in the
politics of the country and there have
been various experiments to confer
legitimacy on the military dictatorships.
PARTITION AND INDO-PAK
RELATIONS
Immediately after partition, the issues
which created irritants between the two
countries were transfer of military
assets, sharing of river waters of Indus
river basin, division of cash balance of
undivided India and so on.
With regard to river waters, partition
of India left three rivers in Punjab
Ravi, Sutlej and Beas mainly flowing in
India and Indus, Jhelum and Chenab
mostly flowing in Pakistan. India could
have used all the water creating
problems for Pakistan. It, however,
agreed to supply water to Pakistan from
these rivers. An agreement on water
sharing was concluded on 19
September 1961 and was signed by
Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru and
President Ayub Khan which was
described as a memorable event
towards normalisation of relations
between the two countries.
THE KASHMIR ISSUE
Various efforts made between India and
Pakistan to establish friendly relations
finally broke down because of dispute
over Kashmir. It will be appropriate for
you to know the background of this issue.
Before independence, Jammu and
Kashmir was one of the 584 princely
states. It was ruled by Maharaja Hari
Singh. In accordance with the
conditions of the partition of British
India, rulers of princely states were
given the right to determine which state
to join India or Pakistan, or to remain
independent. The Maharaja of Kashmir
decided to remain independent.
Pakistani leadership motivated with
the approach of two-nation theory was
of the view that in view of 77 per cent of
its population being Muslim, Jammu and
Kashmir should join Pakistan. After
Maharajas declaration of independence,
on 3 September, 1947 there started tribal
intrusions and border raids from
Pakistan. The government of Kashmir
protested to the Prime Minister of
Pakistan. However, four days after the
complaint on the night of 20-21 October,
1947 India assessed the position of
Pakistan as provocative and direct
support to aggression, aimed at
occupying Kashmir. On 24 October
Maharaja of Kashmir himself appealed
to India for help. Indias leadership stated
that such help could only be rendered
on condition of integration of Kashmir
with India. On 26 October Maharaja Hari
Singh sent a letter to Lord Mountbatten,
then Governor General of India about his
decision to join India. Indian troops were
air -dashed to Kashmir. The troops
stopped the advancing Pakistani
infiltrators but the war continued for
14 months.
INDIA AND HER NEIGHBOURS
In the mean time on 1 January,
1948 India lodged a complaint with the
UN Security Council to ask Pakistan
to prevent assisting in the invasion of
Jammu and Kashmir. The UN Security
Council passed a resolution on
17 January, 1948 appealing to the
conflicting sides to resolve their
differences through peaceful means and
to establish law and order and then to
organise a plebiscite for determining the
future of the State.
Finally on 13 August, 1948
Security Council passed a new
resolution in which cease-fire was
envisaged. India and Pakistan accepted
the proposal. Consequently, fighting in
Jammu and Kashmir came to a halt.
The final resolution on this was passed
on 5 January, 1949 by which cease-
fire line was formally accepted by
India and Pakistan.
With the implementation of first part
of 1 January, 1949 resolution there
came an end to 14 months old war. But,
part two of the UN resolution could not
be implemented as Pakistan refused to
withdraw those forces, including
Pakistani nationals under various
guises, which had been fighting under
the collective name of Azad Kashmir
forces. This was a condition precedent
to the holding of any plebiscite. While
accepting UN resolution of 5 January,
1949 India had sought the clarification
from the UN Council that the plebiscite
proposal would not be binding upon
India if Pakistan did not implement part
two of the UN resolutions of August 13.
This assurance was given categorically
by the United Nations.
219
In those ensuing years Pakistan
tried to win Western countries over its
side. Indias foreign policy of Non-
Alignment was not much appreciated
by the USA and its allies. Pakistan in
1954 decided to move away from it
neutral course and join a military-
political union with the USA, initially
through entry into the military bloc
of SEATO (South East Asia Treaty
Organisation) and then the
Baghdad pact or CENTO in 1955.
Pakistans close collaboration with
the US and its military alliance and
Indias multifaceted cooperation and
understanding with Soviet Union made
the Kashmir issue in the UN purely
political.
Notwithstanding the discussions in
the United Nations, since then, the State
of Jammu and Kashmir has remained
an integral part of the Union of India
and had been participating in its affairs
including elections as such. Pakistan
has remained adamant on its position
on communal grounds. Internal
instability and civil-military conflicts in
Pakistan have also forced it to keep
Kashmir issue alive for emotional
diversion of people.
To internationalise Kashmir issue
Pakistan once again started in August
1965 sending its troops in civilian
clothes across the cease-fire line. These
infiltrators were sent to provoke large-
scale violence and abet people of
Kashmir to revolt or create a war of
independence in Kashmir. It resulted
in full-scale war between India and
Pakistan in which Pakistan suffered
humiliating defeat. A UN Security
220 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
Council resolution adopted on 20
September, 1965 called upon India and
Pakistan to cease-fire.
After the end of war a meeting was
held at Tashkant in the then Soviet
Union from 3- 10 January, 1966 to
formalise peace between India and
Pakistan. The summit meeting was held
at the initiative of the Soviet Prime
Minister Alexi Kosygin and attended by
Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and
President Ayub Khan.
Outcome of the Summit was a nine-
point Tashkant declaration containing
the resolve by India and Pakistan to
restore normal and peaceful relations
between themselves and to promote
friendly relations between their people.
It was agreed that the relations between
India and Pakistan would be based on
the principle of non-interference in the
internal affairs of each other; they will
not resort to force, but settle their
disputes through peaceful means.
The Tashkant declaration was
welcomed world over and for the first
time it was hoped that India and
Pakistan might turn away from the path
of conflict and strive to live in peace. But
the hawks in Pakistan did not believe
in that. They held the view that peace
in the sub-continent was possible only
if Kashmir issue was solved to
Pakistans satisfaction. Inspite of events
of great significance and changes both
at international level and in India and
Pakistan the internal political situation
in Pakistan did not allow to change its
position that Kashmir is the core issue
between India-Pakistan relations.
Since 1987 Pakistan has been
abetting, encouraging and supporting
insurgent terrorist movement in
Kashmir. Events in Kargil in summer
of 1999 made it very clear that the
presence of army regulars and Islamic
militants on the Indian territory was
not a spontaneous performance of
the local freedom fighters. By
planning operations in Kargil, Pakistani
strategists hoped that the international
community would be attracted to the
so-called fight for freedom in Kashmir
would come to the rescue of victims of
alleged Indian violations of human
rights. Conduct of free and fair elections
and participation of significant
percentage of voters in elections in
Kashmir in September-October 2002
despite of terrorist threat has made it
clear that people of Kashmir are not in
favour of violence and they desire peace.
The parties they voted for also makes
it clear that they are not enamoured by
Pakistan propaganda. But for Pakistan
the Kashmir issue remains as the
central issue.
Thus, the initial positions of
India and Pakistan on the Kashmir
issue remain unchanged and are
diametrically opposite. For India
Kashmir issue has been resolved fully,
taking into account the appeal of the
Maharaja and signing of the Instrument
of Accession to India. It was further
reiterated in 1954 by the Constituent
Assembly of the State.
At ideological level Pakistan
continues to harp on Muslim Leagues
pre-partition theory of two nations.
INDIA AND HER NEIGHBOURS
That is Hindus and Muslims are two
nations. Indias stand on the other
hand is that India is a multi religious,
multi cultural, secular state. While
Pakistan may be a Muslim majority
State, India has a very large Muslim
population as well. In fact Muslim
population, over 12 crore, is more than
in any other country except Indonesia.
It is more than Pakistan. It is not only
in Kashmir that a non-Hindu religion
is in majority but in several other States
also it is so. Therefore India has never
accepted the idea of religious basis of
the State. At the time of partition also
it had rejected the two-nations theory
totally. Yet, as stated in the beginning,
for Pakistan compulsions of identity
crisis, internal instability, its desire to
be the leader of Islamic world and an
anti-India mindset forces the Kashmir
issue to be seen in communal terms and
kept alive in one form or the other.
Unfortunately, it has become so serious
that all efforts for peaceful relations
between the two countries which are so
essential for trade and commerce and
development have so far failed. Some of
these efforts are discussed below.
BANGLADESH WAR AND SHIMLA
AGREEMENT
The most serious internal crisis that
Pakistan faced after its creation in 1947
was the upsurge in East Pakistan (now
Bangladesh) a direct challenge to the
two-nations theory of Muslim League.
The consequences of this crisis became
a vital and vitiating factor in Indo-Pak
221
relations. When India was partitioned
on the basis of religion, Eastern wing
was carved out of Bengal which was
more than 1,500 km away from western
wing (present Pakistan).
Though people of both the wings
were Muslims, they differed from each
other culturally and linguistically.
Imposition of Urdu was totally
unacceptable to them. The differences
had continued and East-Pakistan
population had felt neglected. In
December 1971 elections Awami
League led by Shiekh Mujibur Rehman
won majority. Rather than accepting
the democratic verdict of election and
allowing Sheikh Mujibur Rehman to
become Prime Minister, President
Yahya Khan arrested and detained him.
This led to widespread protests and
violence. Pakistan security forces let
loose a reign of terror. People started
running towards India. By March
1971 about a crore of East Pakistanis
had crossed over to India as refugees.
Under tremendous suppression
by Pakistani Security forces people
of Bangladesh began looking for
independence as the only way
out. Thus on 12 April, 1971 the
Awami League leadership declared
independence from Pakistan and
establishment of Bangladesh. At that
time no country including India
recognised Bangladesh. Pakistans
massacre of people continued and so
also influx of refugees to India. Seeing
the situation becoming worse, India was
compelled to intervene and finally on
4 December, 1971, Pakistan waged a
222 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
war against India. Pakistan was
defeated on all fronts. It surrendered
before India unconditionally on 16
December, 1971. About 93 thousand
Pakistan troops were taken as prisoners
of war. The net result of war was
division of Pakistan and creation of a
sovereign State of Bangladesh.
In order to normalise the relations
between India and Pakistan, the then
President of Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali
Bhutto, desired a meeting between the
two heads of the governments. Hence,
India-Pakistan Summit was held at
Shimla in June 1972. After prolonged
discussion an agreement was reached
in which both the countries pledged
to work for lasting friendship. The two
countries agreed to seek peaceful
solutions to disputes through bilateral
negotiations, they also agreed not to
use force against each other and violate
the territorial integrity and freedom of
each other. The two countries also
agreed to establish trade and
commerce relations, cooperation in
science, technology and cultural
fields and recognise the line of control
as at the time of cease-fire on
17 December, 1971.
Observers felt that Shimla
agreement was a real settlement
between India and Pakistan. Though
not declared publically implied in the
agreement was that the two countries
accepted the settlement of Kashmir
around the existing realities. It was
therefore accepted that after Shimla
accord India and Pakistan will work for
mutual benefits through cooperation.
INDO-PAK RELATIONS AFTER
SHIMLA ACCORD
After Shimla Accord, for some time, the
two countries began working for
confidence building activities and
cooperating with each other. But the
hardliners in Pakistan could not
reconcile with implied settlement on
Kashmir. Under pressure from
opponents Pakistan government,
inspite of commitment to bilateral
approach in Shimla Accord, kept on
raising Kashmir issue in several
international fora. Nuclear test by India
in 1974 created some apprehensions
in Pakistan but efforts went on for
improvement of relations. Morarji
Desais Janata Party government in
1977 made particular efforts to improve
relations with Pakistan. The then
foreign minister Atal Behari Vajpayee
visited Pakistan in 1978. There was a
general impression that India-Pakistan
were on the move for better times. The
internal politics of Pakistan, however,
did not allow this for long. In 1977 once
again there was a military coup in
Pakistan in which General Zia-Ul-Haq
took over the Presidentship of Pakistan.
To consolidate his position, Zia started
playing with the emotions of people. By
1980 it became clear that he also had
to go for India bashing. It was widely
believed that Zia was also interested in
taking revenge for the creation of
Bangladesh. He, therefore, tried to
destabilise India by abetting and
encouraging terrorism in Punjab. In
the given international situation,
INDIA AND HER NEIGHBOURS
including Soviet Unions intervention in
Afghanistan, Pakistan once again had
become a close ally of the Western
powers and China. As such, it thought
proper once again to internationalise
the Kashmir issue. It started
sponsoring and supporting insurgency
in Jammu and Kashmir, which in due
course of time took a very serious turn.
GUJRAL DOCTRINE AND VAJPAYEES
EFFORTS
President Zia-ul-Haq of Pakistan was
killed in August 1988 in an air crash.
After some time democracy was restored.
Benazir Bhutto, who took over as Prime
Minister, though continued with the
established parameters of Pakistan
foreign policy, expressed desire to
improve relations with India. She held
talks with Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Both referred to Shimla Accord and
commitment to bilateral approach.
However, the basic issues remained
unresolved and the anti-Indian stance of
Pakistan ruling elite continued. In 1990,
Nawaz Sharifs government and again in
1993 new Government of Benazir Bhutto
created both hope and despair for Indo-
Pak relations. New Delhi suggested
several confidence measures but
Pakistan continued to insist on the
resolution of Kashmir problem and that
too in accordance with the Pakistans
wishes and 1948-49 UN resolutions. The
Army and ISI were not necessarily
following civilian governments dictates.
Thus, support and encouragement to
terrorist activities kept on increasing.
223
A major initiative to improve
relations with Pakistan was taken by
Foreign Minister I.K. Gujral in 1997
when he initiated the policy of taking
unilateral action to improve relations
with the neighbours. Gujrals
contention was that scarce resources in
subcontinent were being wasted in
hostilities. He expressed Indias
readiness as larger neighbour to give
more. In March 1997, he said, I am
willing to make concessions on
anything, except the sovereignty or
secular character of our nation
which are non-negotiable. There will be
no other partition of India. For
once, it seemed that Pakistan was
responding positively.
Gujrals initiatives were carried
forward by Prime Minister Atal Bihari
Vajpayee who in February, 1999 went
to the extent of going to Lahore on Bus.
But as already stated Pakistans
internal politics remained an hindrance.
While Prime Minister Sharif was
expressing his readiness to talk and
improve relations with India, his army
was preparing to strike in Kargil and
ISI was engaged in large scale
infiltration of terrorists across the
border. Finally came the Army Coup
and once again Military rule was
established under the command of
General Pervez Musharraf. To establish
his credibility and win popularity
General began harping on Kashmir in
very loud voices. At the same time
keeping in view the Kargil defeat and
increasing isolation of Pakistan in
international community, he expressed
224 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
his willingness to talk to India. For that
purpose he came to India and
participated in Summit meeting with
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at
Agra. Whole world was looking at Agra
Summit with great hopes. The summit
failed because the core issue for
Pakistan was Kashmir. India was
prepared to discuss Kashmir subject to
Pakistans commitment to end its
support and encouragement to
terrorism.
Since Agra Summit, relations
between India and Pakistan have
continued to worsen. Terrorist attack
on Indian Parliament in December
2001 and Pakistan continued
involvement in Kashmir has made India
refuse to talk to it. After 11 September,
2001 events in the USA and
international war against terrorism,
Pakistan has accepted the fact that the
terrorists are using its territory, though
has denied its own support to them. It
has promised to the world to keep itself
away from support or abetment to
terrorism. It however, keeps on
expressing its moral and political
support to the terrorists whom they
allege are fightings for freedom of
Kashmir. It seems that internal political
contradictions of Pakistan are so
complicated that politicians there have
to remain engaged in politics of one-
up-manship in respect of India.
The basic problem in restoration
of friendly relations between the two
countries is that while for over 55
years India has been a vigorously
functioning democratic State, Pakistan
still is in search of an identity and
system. In India the defence forces are
fully under the control of the civilian
and political authorities. In Pakistan
on the other hand, they seem to
constitute an empire within an empire,
perhaps autonomous in decision-
making. It is time for India and
Pakistan to come out from skirmishes
and to address of real issues of
human development, but the ray of
hope is bleak.
It is obvious that in its foreign policy,
apart from general vision, the immediate
neighbours have the first claim on its
attention. The relations with Nepal, Sri
Lanka, China, Bangladesh and
Pakistan are of paramount importance
to India. Indias security, vital interests
and well being are intimately tied up
with the fate and future of this region.
India, therefore, has tried to maintain
peaceful and cordial relations with
them. However, the differences in size,
potentialities and ideological
preferences have quite often caused
some frictions also, particularly in
relations with China and Pakistan.
While in recent years there has been
tremendous improvement in India-
China relations, the relations with
Pakistan have further worsened. India
remains interested in peaceful
coexistence and development of the
region. Of course it has to take note of
fears and susceptibilities of smaller
countries and its strategic interests in
relation to China. It is expected that in
the post-cold war era there will be a new
perspective on regional cooperation and
further improvement in relations
among neighbours.
INDIA AND HER NEIGHBOURS 225

EXERCISES

1. Examine Indias relations with Pakistan.

2. Explain the phases of cordial and strained relations between India and
Bangladesh.
3. Give brief account of Indias relations with Sri Lanka
4. Describe Indias relationship with China.
5. Assess relationship between India and Nepal.
6. Write short notes on the following:
(i) Shimla Agreement;
(ii) Panchsheel ;
(iii) Kashmir problem;
(iv) Indo-China border dispute;
(v) Ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka.
226 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
CHAPTER 18
Indias Relations with USA and Russia
I N a situation of bloc rivalries and cold
war the national leaders of India, after
independence, believed that an
independent India should be willing to
make adjustments in respect of her
relations with other nations. However,
the prime concern for her was its
national interest. Soon after the end of
the Second World War the prevalent
situation was complex and delicate.
Although the Western powers led by the
USA and the erstwhile Soviet Union
fought the common foe, the Nazi
Germany, during Second World War,
their suspicions for each other prior to
the war, during the war and after the
war continued. By 1947 the dividing
lines were clearly drawn. The newly
independent Afro-Asian countries, on
account of their fragile economic and
political conditions were susceptible to
pressures from both the super powers.
Both the superpowers were trying to
assume the role of system builders for
the world and were expecting other
states to follow their lead. Both had a
firm belief in the rivalry between the
Eastern and Western camps. They also
opined that there was little room for a
third camp. The bipolarity of the world
was accepted as a natural consequence
of the Second World War.
It was in this situation that India
decided not to join either of the power
blocs and to follow a policy of non-
alignment. Main concern at that
time was its development and
transformation, to raise the standard of
living of the people and not military
power. For this, India needed
independence in decision-making and
support from all possible avenues.
The only way to preserve Indias
independent identity and seek help
from both the powers was to avoid
excessive intimacy and identification
with either bloc. At the same time, to
attain the goals of national economic
development and political stability, to
ensure the unity and socio-economic
growth of the country, to prevent
aggression, or the threat of aggression
to its independence, it was necessary
for India to maintain friendly relations
with both the super -powers. The
super -powers had their own
perspectives, interests and parameters
to deal with countries in this region. In
this context, Indias relations with the
USA and erstwhile Soviet Union (now
INDIAS RELATIONS WITH USA AND RUSSIA
Russia) emerged in a situation of bloc-
rivalries during the cold war. In this
chapter we will discuss in brief the
origin and development of Indias
relations both with the USA and Russia
including former Soviet Union.
INDIA AND THE UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA
Indo-US relations have remained
complex and at times paradoxical.
Though there is tremendous change in
the relationship between the two after
the end of the cold war and particularly
in the phase of recent terrorist
challenges, yet it is clear that they are
neither complete partners nor are they
complete adversaries.
USA is three times the area of India
but the population of India is two and
a half times than that of the USA. In
terms of industrialisation and economy
USA is one of the most developed and
rich countries whereas India is a
developing country. Both India and the
USA are plural countries in terms
of cultures and religions. Both are
secular democracies, committed to
constitutionalism, rule of law and
freedom of individual and the press.
But in terms of strategic requirements,
military ambitions and vision about
international politics, the two countries
differ considerably.
ORIGIN OF INDO-US RELATIONS
Relationship between India and the
United States goes back to pre-
independence days. United States was
227
sympathetic and supportive of Indias
struggle for freedom. During the Second
World War period USA supported the
idea of right to self-determination for the
people all over the world. Thus, after
independence, while India was
formulating its foreign policy with a
strong desire to be independent of
power blocs, it was also expecting that
with independence and democratic
institutions the USA would come
forward to support its struggle against
poverty and for development. USA had
peculiar interests in South Asian region.
Its main concern was to contain the
spread of Soviet influence and her
communist ideology. The USA was
afraid that the Soviet Union would take
full advantage of the power vacuum,
created by the withdrawal of the British
from India. It also thought that the
fragile economy of the Afro-Asian
countries was best suited for breeding
the communist ideology. Emergence of
China as Communist Republic in 1949
increased these apprehensions and
interest in the region. At the same time,
US considered itself to be the sole global
power and suspected that India had the
ambition and potential to be a regional
hegemony by virtue of its size, economic
and military potentials. It may thus
become a challenge to American
authority.
In view of the above to contain
Soviet Union and extend their own
influence, Americans adopted a two-
fold approach. First, to confront the
suspected Soviet expansionism
through military force. Second, by
launching plans for economic recovery
228 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
known as the Marshal Plan. The
period from 1947 to 1955 saw the
emergence of a series of military
alliances and extension of economic
assistance to several nations which were
willing to go along with the American
plan. Quite a few nations in Europe,
Asia and Africa accepted the American
patronage while some others went
under the Soviet fold. India, in the
framework of its vision of non-
alignment, opted for the policy of
friendship with all but enmity to none;
the policy of seeking help without
strings for Indias economic
development; and the policy of
employing freedom to judge all issues
on their merit. India, also did not
approve the American policy of
containment of Communism against
Soviet Union and China through a
system of military alliances, and sought
to promote a climate of peaceful
coexistence and cooperation. Infact,
India was among the first countries to
recognise Communist China and
establish diplomatic relations with it.
As against Indias desire to remain
independent while maintaining friendly
relations with the USA, Pakistan soon
began to accept its dominance. The
main reason for this was Pakistans
animosity against India and search for
allies in the international scenario.
Pakistans search for security, status
and identity coincided with the United
States search for an ally in South Asia
to buttress its global strategic
imperatives. In 1954 Pakistan became
a member of military alliances such as
CENTO and SEATO sponsored by the
USA. Pakistan offered Peshawar,
adjacent to the Soviet Union, for
operation of military spy planes of USA.
This move of Pakistan was mainly to
internationalise the issue of Kashmir.
The military pacts were, obviously, seen
by Indian leaders as steps to contain
Indias policy of non-alignment and
independence of action.
USA condemned non-alignment
openly. In 1954 it was the first country
to support Pakistans stand on
Kashmir issue in word and deed.
Pakistan received huge amounts of
military aid from the USA. Pakistans
alignment with the United States belied
the hopes of Indian decision-makers.
India was forced to be friendly with the
other Super Power i.e. the Soviet Union
for the diplomatic vantage and military
build-up within the constraints of its
non-aligned identity. Soviet Union also
took keen interest in the affairs of newly
independent countries of Asia and
Africa. Soviet Union appreciated the
policy of Non-Alignment. In South Asia,
the Soviet Union found a sympathetic
ally in India inspite of its not joining the
military alliances.
Thus, in order to encourage India
to remain a liberal democracy and
not to go under the communist
dependency, USA maintained a
favorable economic, cultural and
educational relations with India in the
decade of 1950s and 1960s. It provided
valuable assistance to India under the
Technical Cooperation Agreement of
1951. It also made available to India
huge quantities of food grains during
periods of shortages. But in military
INDIAS RELATIONS WITH USA AND RUSSIA
strategic terms, American policy was to
contain India by strengthening its
military alliance with Pakistan and
creating a regional balance of power.
This policy to check India was due to
three concerns of the USA (i) India had
an alignment with the USSR which was
an adversary of the USA; (ii) Indias
ambition and potential to be a regional
power by virtue of its size, economic and
military potential; and (iii) US
apprehension that a threat of war in the
Indian sub-continent might prove to be
threat to international peace. To contain
Indian ambition and regional
hegemonic capacity, USA worked to
build up Pakistan as a pillar of sub-
continental security. USA was so much
apprehensive of Indias potential to
emerge as a regional power that it even
condemned liberation of the Portugese
colonies of Goa, Daman and Diu by
India whereas it was expected that the
USA would applaud the action.
America had been advocating
elimination of colonial rule, and self-
determination. India was surprised and
shocked. It found that the USA was
more concerned about her NATO ally,
Portugal, instead of honouring its
commitment to anti-colonialism.
During this period, USA gave
military aid to India only once in 1962
i.e. at the time of Chinese aggression.
At that time the USA provided India
with the useful moral and material help.
There was also some change in
American perception of non-alignment.
John F. Kennedy administration
believed that the cold war neutrality
of Third World nations was an
229
acceptable alternative to Communism.
Furthermore, India was key power in
Asia; and its relative neutrality
would be preferable to its adopting
Communism. However, the new
Chinese communist threat forced USA
to continue the flow of military
assistance to Pakistan.
The American justification of
military aid to Pakistan was that it was
directed against the Soviet Union and
China. But, as a matter of fact for
Pakistan the aid was principally meant
to be used against India. However, it
may be mentioned here that American
President Eisenhower had given a
written pledge to Prime Minister Nehru
that American weapons would not be
permitted to be used by Pakistan in its
war with India.
Whatever improvement in Indo-US
relations took place after 1962, it
deteriorated after 1965. At that time,
India was suffering from severe food
shortage and US administration slowed
food aid shipments to India. Even this
had no impact on India, who continued
to speak against the US action in
Vietnam. During 1966-1969 some
efforts were made to improve the
relationship between the two countries.
Not much came out of this. On
the contrary developments between
1969-71 brought the Indo-US
relations to the lowest ebb.
By this time serious difference had
developed between Soviet Union and
China. US administration started
serious efforts to improve relations with
China. For India US-Pakistan-China
axis was a serious cause of worry. Yet,
230 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
India tried to maintain its non-aligned
stance. In view of developments in East
Pakistan (Bangladesh), in 1971, the
situation radically changed. American
pro-Pakistan policy finally induced
India to sign the Indo-Soviet Treaty and
come further closer to the Soviet Union.
Bangladesh crisis in 1971 clearly
revealed the decisive influence
of the USA on Pakistan in its
strained relationship with India and
its till towards Pakistan. Indias
underground nuclear test in 1974, was
criticised by the United States, though
India had made it clear that its nuclear
programme was entirely for peaceful
purpose. Apprehensions between India
and the USA reached its peak in 1979
with the Soviet intervention in
Afghanistan because India did not
condemn the Soviet intervention in
Afghanistan. In view of the situation,
Pakistan was given the status of a
frontline state by America and it
received significant military aid. Thus,
supply of fresh arms by the USA to
Pakistan and non-condemnations of
Soviet intervention in Afghanistan by
India renewed tensions between India
and the United States. However, at the
same time the visit of US Secretary of
State Henry Kissinger in 1974 to India
and other diplomatic efforts to improve
the relations between two countries saw
positive and visible change.
TOWARDS NORMALISATION OF
RELATION
Till the last years of 1970s, in general,
US administration perceived Indian
policies as decidedly pro-Soviet,
whereas Indians saw their own policies
as continuation of non-alignment and
non-interference. A meeting between
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and
President Reagan in October 1981 at
the Cancun meeting made the two to
reexamine postulates of their foreign
policies. The Reagan administration
continued to consider the US-Pakistan
security relationship highly important
and offered a substantial military aid
package to Pakistan. However, he also
realised the importance of improved
relations with India and adopted a two-
track approach of continuing to arm
Pakistan while assisting India on
political and economic issues. Thus,
during 1980s the USA and India
expanded high-technology cooperation.
In November 1984 a memorandum of
understanding was signed to regulate
the export of defence technology to
bring in a new era of understanding.
Rajiv Gandhi, the Prime Minister,
evinced great interest in improving
relations with the US. The US
administration responded favourably.
The two countries signed a
memorandum on high technology
transfers. The US also offered advanced
military equipment and weaponry,
including aircrafts. On Indias
expressing her concern, US even
withdrew offers to sell surveillance
aircraft to Pakistan. The development
of new relations, of course, were not
without hindrances and problems. On
many issues the differences between the
two countries persisted. One of these
was on nuclear policy. However, in view
INDIAS RELATIONS WITH USA AND RUSSIA
of Indias increasing economic, military
and strategic importance and policies
of economic liberalisation adopted by
her the process of normalisation kept
on accelerating and received significant
stimulation after the end of the cold
war.
INDO-US RELATIONS IN POST
COLD WAR ERA
The end of the cold war marked a
significant change in the US approach
towards the Indian sub-continent. With
the end of cold war and collapse and
disintegration of Soviet Union, the
ideological confrontation between the
East and the West ended. Centrally
controlled economies started moving
towards market economy. US thought
itself to be the sole Super Power. In
South Asia, with the collapse of Soviet
Union and its withdrawal from
Afghanistan, Pakistans role in
furthering US strategic goals of
containing the Soviet Union became
redundant. Pakistans relentless
pursuit of a nuclear capability also
caused US to distance itself from
Pakistan. Moreover, in the age of
globalisation, India was looked upon
as one of the major emerging markets,
because of its size, huge population, a
large middle class community, and its
economic potential. To cope with its
economic problems, India had also
started looking for external investment,
technical cooperation and trade
relations. Also Pakistans continuous
encouragement to terrorism in Kashmir
and its efforts to internationalise the
231
Kashmir issue was a matter of concern
for India. Thus, both India and the USA
began to shed the ideological blinkers
donned to protect their interests during
the cold war. They started discovering
each other afresh. Now, USA recognised
that with economic strength, India was
an important player in this part of the
world. Its growth potential economic
and political could not be ignored.
In view of the above changes both
economic and defence relations between
the two countries started taking new
shapes. The discussions between the
two countries moved India into an arena
of military consultations which the US
had never experienced before. The major
hurdle that continued between the two
countries was over nuclear policy. India
not only continued to refuse to enter into
discriminatory arms control agreements
but also developed its missile
programme. In this context conduct of
nuclear tests by India in 1998,
significantly eroded its relations with the
USA. The Clinton administration in USA
imposed sanctions both on India and
Pakistan. The context of Indian nuclear
and missile proliferation was not fully
appreciated by the US policy makers.
India had long standing territorial
disputes with nuclear and near
nuclear powers. India had no way to
defend itself against its neighbours
except by recourse to a nuclear
deterrent, so that it could acquire
diplomatic and military space in
the troublesome strategic environment
of the Asia-pacific.
After 1998 nuclear tests, inspite of
sanctions imposed by the USA, India
232 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
tried to keep the relationship from
becoming bitter. Known for its
pragmatic approach, the American
foreign policy establishment also seems
to be accommodating the Indian
nuclear policy. An example of this came
in November 1998 when a large faction
of the Pakistani military and Pakistani
backed terrorists crossed over the
Line of Control on the Kargil heights.
The USA joined other members of
the international community in
condemning Pakistan for this. While
criticising Pakistan, the USA also took
upon itself the role of a mediator
between India and Pakistan. The
terrorist attack, on 11 September,
2001, in the USA has opened a new
chapter in the relations between
India, Pakistan and the United State
of America.
In view of the spread of terrorist
activities the world over, America
recognised the necessity of an
international war against terrorism and
also to build links with non-traditional
partners. In this, the US administration
looks towards India as the potential
part of global surveillance that the US
wants to build against terrorism. It is
well recognised that India enjoys
internal stability as well as military and
economic strength, and that it has a
mature non-expansionist international
attitude. Both Indian and the USA are
targets of cross-border terrorism. Thus,
we may find increased cooperation
between the US and India in dealing
with the problem of terrorism in the
near future. This, of course, does not
mean that America is losing interest in
Pakistan. Infact, it is trying to improve
relations with Pakistan also,
particularly, to check the growth of
fundamentalist forces.
As already mentioned, in the
changed situation there also are some
unique opportunities for India and the
US to expand trade relations as well.
India has a major need for technological
cooperation. It can, therefore, be said
that India and the USA have emerged
from a history of mistrust and a
relationship which lacked depth to the
process of an economic and strategic
dialogue and cooperation. American
calculation of course is for the
fulfillment of its own national interest.
It is, therefore, important that while
India should continue developing
friendly and cordial relations with the
US it should also remain vigilant about
its own interests, and safeguard its
sovereignty and independence.
INDIA AND RUSSIA
Russia emerged as an independent
State in 1991, after the disintegration
of the USSR. But Russia has declared
itself to be State-continuator of the
erstwhile USSR. India and most of the
other countries also recognise Russia
as the successor State to the former
Soviet Union. As such Indias relations
with Russia are both a relationship
between new non-communist Russia
and a continuity of relationships with
the former Soviet Union. Developments
during last decade also suggest that
Indo-Russian relations in many ways
are based on continuity. Indias
INDIAS RELATIONS WITH USA AND RUSSIA
relations with Soviet Union were of
special significance. The importance
attached to them cut across party lines.
There was a national consensus on the
need for a strong and stable relationship
with the USSR. This seems to be
continuing from both sides, though
there are some changes on certain
accounts in view of post cold war
situation. In the new foreign policy
concept released by Russian Federation
on 10 July, 2000, it has been stated that
one of the crucial directions in the
Russian foreign policy in Asia will be to
develop friendly relations with the
leading States including India. To
understand the nature of these
relationships between India and Russia
it is necessary to know the origin and
development of relations with the
erstwhile Soviet Union.
INDO-SOVIET RELATIONS
Soviet Union came into existence in
1917 as a result of Russian Revolution
based on Marxian-Socialist ideology.
In accordance with the socialist
ideology, right from the beginning,
Soviet Union condemned colonialism
and supported freedom struggles
including that of India. The process of
planning adopted by Soviet Union
made it a developed and a powerful
State within a few years. Indias leaders
fighting against British imperialism,
and facing the consequences of
capitalist oppression were obviously
appreciative of both the Soviet support
for its freedom struggle and the
achievements that country had made.
233
They, therefore, did not share Western
countrys apprehensions about
communist expansionist designs.
At the time of independence, the
expectation was for development of
relationship of cooperation between the
two countries, irrespective of differences
of ideologies. Hope was strengthened
with Soviet Union formally recognising
India as a sovereign State in April 1947,
that is four months before its
independence, and establishment of
diplomatic relations. However, at the
time of Indias independence Soviet
Union was under control of Stalin, who
was very rigid in his approach which
included the perception that all those
who were not communists were against
the Soviet Union. Indias joining
Commonwealth after independence was
projected as Indias pro-western policy.
Similarly, Indias adoption of non-
alignment and its independent stand on
certain issues at that time did not
please Soviet Union. As such, in 1947
Soviet Union was quite skeptical about
Indias independence and its future
identity.
The situation, however, started
changing from 1953 onwards. With the
end of Stalin era new Soviet leadership
began to look towards newly
independent Afro-Asian countries as
its natural allies. It, therefore,
appreciated Indias non-alignment.
Soviet leadership realised that India
was not suffering from any perceived
threat of the spread of communism.
In fact, India was resisting the
expansion of Western influence into
Asian region if it threatened self-
234 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
determination. India had adopted a
policy of non-alignment to address its
own security and national concerns.
Above all Soviet Union realised Indias
importance as a strategic partner when
in 1954 Pakistan joined SEATO and
CENTO alliances and provided basis to
America on Russian borders. As a
consequence, the Soviet Union
considered Pakistan as an American
client State, advancing and nurturing
the US military and strategic interests
in the region. From this period onwards
relations between India and Soviet
Union started developing very cordially
and friendly. One area in which Soviet
Union has solidly stood by India was
in regard to Kashmir. By 1955 Soviet
Union had clearly taken a pro-India
stand and declared unequivocally that
Jammu and Kashmir was an integral
part of India. As has already been
mentioned above in the discussion on
Indo-US relations that some other
events in international arena and
countrys responses to them further
brought Soviet Union and India closer
vis--vis Pakistan and the USA.
Along with strategic relations, gates
were opened for trade and economic
relations. The beginning was made with
the Indo-Soviet Trade Agreement of
1953. It was followed by another
agreement in 1955 for construction of
Bhilai Steel Plant. India received
economic aid from Soviet Union at low
interest rates and on long-term basis.
An important aspect of trade relations
has been Rupee trade. It means
that trade was regulated under
the Rupee agreement under which
imports into India were to be
paid through export commodities.
Transactions involving free foreign
exchange were eliminated and the rupee
served as an account unit. The trade
relations between India and the USSR
developed enormously.
During the cold war, Indias goal
was to avoid being drawn into the
sphere of influence of the major
superpowers. At the same time, India
required weapons for its defence,
specially after the Chinese aggression
in 1962. Indian defence procurement
was limited due to budgetary
constraints and a scarcity of foreign
exchange. Under pressure from
Pakistan and for its own strategic
reasons, United State provided only
limited weapons that too, under
conditions prevailing immediately after
Chinese aggression. But Soviet
equipment was sold to India on
concessional rates and lower rates of
interest and on long-term schedules.
During Indias war with China, the
Soviet Union generally supported
Indias position. During India-Pakistan
war in 1965, Pakistan freely used
American weapons, their sophisticated
tanks and some of the Chinese weapons
against India. Further, the United
States efforts to come closer to China
and possibilities of US-China-Pakistan
axis was also a matter of serious
concern for India.
Impact of US-China-Pak axis
became clear during Bangladesh crisis
in 1971. It was in this situation that in
August 1971 a Treaty of Friendship
and Cooperation was signed between
INDIAS RELATIONS WITH USA AND RUSSIA
India and the erstwhile Soviet Union.
This treaty proved to be a deterrent and
the USA did not intervene in the War.
The 1971 treaty was the first political
treaty concluded by India with one of
the Super powers. Many critics
observed that it was a deviation from
non-alignment, but given the situation
and Americas direct threat, perhaps it
was essential. In India the treaty was
universally hailed. Hence, now onwards
Indo-Soviet relations continued to
develop under all governments in India.
So much so that even at the time of
clear indications of collapse of Soviet
Union, the 1971 treaty, which was
signed for 20 years, was renewed for
another two decades in August 1991.
In general, India-Soviet Union
relations were based on mutual benefit
and certain common visions about
international politics. Both believed in
national freedom and social equality,
support to national liberation
movements and fight against
colonialism, racial discrimination and
oppression as a matter of principle. Of
course the military and strategic
interests of both the countries played a
pivotal role in determining these
relations. The same in many ways still
continues as India-Russia Relations.
INDIA-RUSSIA RELATIONS
By December 1991 not only the
Communist system in Soviet Union
collapsed but it also got disintegrated
into 15 independent Republics. All
these States have been recognised as
sovereign States. Russian Federation
235
has been recognised by the
international community as the
successor State of USSR. It means
rights and commitments of the USSR
are now that of Russia. India also has
recognised the 15 Republics as
sovereign States and expressed its
desire to establish friendly and
cooperative relations with all. Its special
interest, however, remain with Russia.
Both India and Russian federation
have expressed the hope and
commitment to maintain time-tested
traditional relations between the two
countries. However, in the early years
of 1990s there were some constraints.
Among the Russian leaderships there
were three main trends with regard to
Indo-Russian relations; (i) Proponents
of traditional ties were pleading for a
policy based on continuity; (ii) There
were exponents of building new types
of relations, devoid of any ideological
preconception; (iii) There were blind
supporter of the US course, intending
to give strategic character to the US -
Russian relations and thus keen to
overlook the value of Indo-Russian ties.
It seems that both the leadership and
elite in the two countries were
influenced by all the three trends partly.
Therefore, in the first two years of
establishment of Russia the traditional
warmth in the bilateral relations of the
two countries was not visible. However,
starting with the visit of President Yeltsin
of Russia to India in 1993, renewal of
old ties became pronounced.
During the period 1994-96, several
high-level visits were exchanged
between the two countries. India was
236 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
assured of Russian support on
Kashmir and continuation of supply
of spare parts for defence equipments.
At the same time, in the changed post
cold war environment and markets
taking over the economy, both Russia
and India were looking for wider
options. Russia was keen to develop its
European entity rather than its
Euroasian identity. It believed that its
future prosperity and influence lay in
forging a close alliance with the United
States and Western Europe. It wanted
to join the G-7, that is group of 7 highly
industrialised and developed countries
of the world. India also, in the changed
situation and in need of more
sophisticated arms, was looking for
alternative options, in addition to
Russia. As already mentioned in
discussion on India-US relations, the
USA was offering such options to India.
Also, Indias need for foreign investment
was making it look towards West for
trade and economic relations. And, in
the meantime both India and Russia
continued interacting with each other
at various levels.
By early 1997, Russia started
getting disillusioned from Western
Powers. Its attempt to get entry into
G-7 was not successful. The United
States was expanding the North Atlantic
Treaty Organisation (NATO) to include
several former communist East
European countries. This was not
appreciated by Russia, though
ultimately Russia itself signed a NATO-
Russian pact. All these events made
Russia to reexamine its priorities.
Though the basic pro-West orientation
of Russian foreign policy remained
intact, Russia also started moving
closer towards India, China and Japan.
The visit by Prime Minister of India,
H.D. Deve Gowda to Moscow in March
1997 turned out to be a high
watermark. Several agreements were
signed between the two countries. The
traditional relations shared by both the
countries, reached its culmination with
the visit of Russian President Vladimir
Putin to India on 3 October, 2000. The
signing of the strategic partnership by
President Putin and Prime Minister
Vajpayee widened scope for continued
political engagements and dialogue on
defence matters by setting up of joint
working groups. The Moscow
Declaration signed by the Russian
President Vladimir Putin and Indian
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on
5 November, 2001 is yet another
milestone in cementing the close and
friendly ties between India and the
Russian Federation. As both the
countries have been the victims of the
scourge of international terrorism for
more than a decade (Russia in the case
of Chechnya and India in the case of
Kashmir), there has been identity of
views on the need and support to
contain and eliminate terrorism. Both
India and Russia while extending
support for global effort, and in
particular for the American initiative to
eliminate terrorism, have expressed the
view that there should not be any
double standards in identifying
terrorism and dealing with it.
The Moscow declaration also
reiterates the desire of both the
INDIAS RELATIONS WITH USA AND RUSSIA 237

countries for expanded economic
relations in future. The two countries
thus can look forward to better avenues
for a wide range of trade and commerce
activities. Leaders of both the countries
have clearly indicated that they want
to restore their relationship to its earlier
high pedestal. Of course in the fast
changing international situation
nothing is certain; but at least for the
present, the relations between India
and Russia are poised for revival of the
traditional Indo-Soviet friendship.
Indo-Soviet/Russian relations
could be summed up, as Siddharath
Vardarajan observes, in the following
phases:
During the Stalin years, the USSR
preferred to keep its distance from India
as it considered Nehrus India to be a
reactionary state beholdened to Britain
and the US. From Khrushchev till early
years of Gorbachev, on the other hand
relations were warm with close
economic and military ties. The end of
the cold war and a prolonged period of
economic anarchy brought with it a
certain cooling of relations between
Russia and India with Yeltsin tending
to follow the US lead. But now, with
US-Russia relations entering a new
and potentially unstable phase,
Moscow is anxious to renew its
friendship with New Delhi.

EXERCISES

1. Examine Indo-American relationship.

2. Describe the process of normalisation of relationship between United States of
America and India.
3. Explain the Indo-Soviet Union relationship up to 1990.
4. Discuss the nature of relationship between India and Russia.
5. Write short notes on the following :
(i) The US tilt towards Pakistan;
(ii) Indo-Soviet Treaty of 1971;
(iii) Attitude of the USA and the USSR towards India at the time of 1971
Indo-Pak war ;
(iv) Post-Cold War relationship between India and USA.
238 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
CHAPTER 19
India and the United Nations
U NITED Nations was founded on
24 October, 1945 after the Second
World War with the purpose of saving
the world from the fear of another world
war, to reaffirm faith in human rights,
dignity of human beings, equal rights
of men and women and of nations. It
also envisages to establish conditions
under which justice and respect for
treaties and international laws can be
maintained. The aims, objectives and
organisation of the United Nations (UN)
are contained in the Charter of United
Nations which was adopted at San
Francisco on 25 June, 1945. India was
a participant in the San Francisco
Conference that drafted the Charter
and was honoured with original
membership of the organisation. Of
course, at that time India was not an
independent state.
UNITED NATIONS GOALS, PRINCIPLES
AND ORGANISATION
The purposes, for which United Nations
was established are: (i) to maintain
international peace and security; (ii) to
develop friendly relations among
nations; (iii) to cooperate internationally
in solving international economic,
social, cultural and humanitarian
problems and in promoting respect for
human rights and fundamental
freedoms; and (iv) to be a centre for
harmonising the actions of nations
in attaining these common ends.
The basic principles of the United
Nations are: (i) sovereign equality of
all its members; (ii) fulfillment of
obligations assumed by member states
in accordance with the Charter;
(iii) peaceful settlement of international
disputes without endangering peace,
security and justice; (iv) members to
refrain from threat, or the use of force
against the territorial integrity of other
States; (v) members to give all possible
assistance to the United Nations; (vi) to
ensure that even non-members act in
accordance with the principles of UN
Charter; and (vii) United Nations not
to interfere in domestic matters of
any State.
The United Nations performs its
functions through its principal organs
and specialised agencies. According to
the UN Charter there are six principal
organs of the organisation. These are:
The General Assembly, Security
Council, Economic and Social Council,
Trusteeship Council, International
INDIA AND THE UNITED NATIONS
Court of Justice, and the Secretariat.
General Assembly is the plenary organ
of the United Nations. Every member
country is represented in this on the
basis of sovereign equality. Thus, every
member country, irrespective of size or
power, has one vote in the General
Assembly. It meets at least once a year.
It can discuss any matter within the
scope of UN Charter and makes
recommendations.
The primary responsibility of
maintenance of international peace and
security has been assigned to the
Security Council. It consists of 5
permanent and 10 non-permanent
members. Permanent members are the
USA, the UK, France, Russia and
China. For any decision the consent of
the 5 permanent members is essential.
A negative vote by any permanent
member means rejection of the
proposal. This power to get any
proposal rejected is known as veto
power of the permanent members. Ten
non-permanent members are elected by
the General Assembly for a two-years
term. They dont have the veto power.
The Economic and Social council
consists of 54 members elected by the
General Assembly. It is responsible for
cooperation in socio-economic activities
among the members. The Trusteeship
Council was established to manage the
affairs of territories detached from
Japan and Italy after the Second World
War or such territories not under the
control of a country at that time. With
the task of decolonisation having been
almost completed the Trusteeship
Council does not have much work to
239
do. International Court of Justice is
made of 15 judges elected from
member countries. The Court is called
upon to find solutions to legal disputes
between member countries. It interprets
international law and also advices the
General Assembly and the Security
Council on legal matters.
The Secretariat is the permanent
office of the United Nations. It is headed
by the Secretary General. The Secretary
General is elected by the General
Assembly for a term of five years. He
is also the chief executive
functionary of the UN. Accordingly, he
acts both as the Secretary General of
the General Assembly and of the
Security Council.
Various specialised agencies of
the United Nations are meant to work
for cooperation in developmental
activities. These include International
Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), World
Meteorlogical Organisation (WMO),
International Labour Organisation (ILO),
World Health Organisation (WHO), Food
and Agricultural Organisation (FAO),
United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO),
United Nations International Childrens
Emergency Fund (UNICEF), etc. India
has remained an active participant in
most of the UN agencies right from the
day of its establishment.
INDIAS ROLE IN THE UN
As stated above India is one of the
founder members of the UN. After
independence, Indian leadership made
a conscious effort to identify principles
240 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
of Indias foreign policy totally with the
collective goals of the UN Charter.
Hence, a strong and effective United
Nations was in harmony with Indias
national and larger interests. India,
therefore, starting as a founding
member of the UN has travelled a long
way since independence and has
earned a formidable reputation for its
versatile experience and contributions
in the UN activities.
You have already read that not only
the visions of Indias foreign policy were
similar to the goals set by the UN but
also the Constitution of India through
Article 51 in the Chapter on Directive
Principles of State Policy directs the
government to promote international
peace and seek peaceful settlement of
international disputes. Indias record in
the UN, particularly in earlier decades,
bears out that the positions India took
on all key issues had been those which
helped strengthening the United Nations
as a non-partisan and effective
organisation free from domination by
any single power or group of powers. We
can see this by looking at Indias specific
role in some of the major activities of the
UN during all these years.
STRUGGLE AGAINST COLONIALISM
In the frame work of pronounced goals
of the UN charter for promoting and
encouraging respect for human rights
and fundamental freedoms for all,
the UN also strives for freedom
from colonialism, racialism and
discrimination. In 1945, when the UN
Charter was signed, more than 750
million people lived under colonial rule.
Now, this is almost over. India was in
the forefront of the struggle against
colonialism, apartheid, and racial
discrimination a struggle that has
transformed the lives of millions of
persons in Africa and Asia.
The provisions of the Charter on
Non-Self Governing Territories were
given a new thrust when the UN
adopted the landmark declaration of
1960 on the Granting of independence
to colonial countries and peoples. The
declaration solemnly proclaimed the
necessity of bringing to a complete and
unconditional end colonialism in all its
forms and manifestations. The following
year, the special committee on the
Implementation of the Declaration on
Decolonisation was established to
study, investigate and recommend
action for ending colonialism. India was
appointed the first Chairman of the
Decolonisation Committee. As a
member of the committee of 24, India
has ceaselessly struggled for an end to
colonialism. India also took up the
decolonisation issue in Trusteeship
Committee, the Special Committee on
Non-Self Governing Territories. It also
sponsored and supported numerous
resolutions in the UN on decolonisation.
India has raised this issue also at Non-
Aligned and Commonwealth meetings.
In the early years, it took up the cause
of Indonesian freedom. It sought to
protect the interest of the Arabs by
taking a clear stand on the division of
Palestine. India played a significant role
in the freedom of the French colonies of
Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. Indias
INDIA AND THE UNITED NATIONS
role in liberation of various African
countries and struggle against
racialism, particularly the apartheid, is
well known.
By 1960s most of the colonies
had achieved independence. Emergence
of the new States as a result of
independence increased the membership
of the UN as also brought to the fore the
issues of underdevelopment, poverty and
unequal world order. India, in that
situation, played a leading role in
bringing newly independent countries
together in the non-aligned movement
and worked collectively for their freedom,
development and stability. Till today
India is representing in the UN, the
interests of the developing countries in a
very forceful manner. One aspect of this
is the demand for reforms in the United
Nations itself. We will discuss this later in
this chapter.
INDIA AND DISARMAMENT
In view of the disastrous experiences of
the Second World War, particularly the
use of nuclear arms, one of the major
concerns of the United Nations was to
control the arms race. In that India has
consistently pursued the objective of
global disarmament based on the
principles of universality, non-
discrimination and effective compliance.
Given the horrific destructive capacity
of nuclear weapons, India has always
believed in the existence of a world free
of nuclear weapons. In the United
Nations, India pleaded the cause of
disarmament and arms control in
Eighteenth National Disarmament
241
Committee, special sessions of the UN
General Assembly and in the conference
on disarmament. We will discuss Indias
position and role in disarmament
in some details in another chapter of
this book.
INDIA IN THE UN PEACE KEEPING
OPERATIONS
As mentioned in the beginning,
the United Nations was established
primarily for maintenance of
International Peace and Security. In
regard to this, India believed that
United Nations should emphasise on
methods of peaceful settlement of
disputes rather than on the use of
force. During 1950s and 1960s a
number of such disputes had emerged
in various parts of the world. India,
within United Nations and under
United Nations, played a key role in
easing several such critical situations
through the process of peace-making
and peace-keeping operations of the
UN. Peace-keeping, though has not
been used in the UN Charter, has
evolved during the years as an
internationally acceptable UN
mechanism for resolving conflicts. In
this, the UN controlled forces are sent
to control and resolve conflicts
between states or communities within
states. So far about 40 peace-keeping
operations have been organised by
the UN.
Indian troops have taken part in
some of the most difficult operations
and have suffered casualties in
the service of the UN. Professional
242 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
excellence of the Indian troops has won
universal admiration. India has taken
part in the UN peace - keeping
operations in four continents. Its most
significant contribution has been in
maintaining peace and stability in
Africa and Asia. It has demonstrated its
unique capacity of sustaining large
troops and commitments over
prolonged periods. India is ranked as
the second largest troop contributing
country to the UN. India has also
offered one brigade of troops to the UN
stand-by arrangements.
India provided a paramedical unit
to facilitate withdrawal of the sick
and the wounded in Korea. After
announcement of ceasefire in Korea
in 1953, India was appointed the
Chairman of the Neutral Nations
Repatriation Commission. One brigade
of the Indian Army participated in the
operation in Korea, authorised by the
UN General Assembly.
India also contributed to peace in
the Middle East. The United Nations
Emergency Force (UNEF) was there in
1956 following cessation of hostilities
between Egypt and Israel. India
provided an infantry battalion which
accounted for the bulk of the UN force.
For over 11 years, from 1956 to 1967,
more than 12,000 Indian troops took
part in UNEF.
Pursuant to the Geneva Accord, an
International Control Commission (ICC)
for Indo-China was set up in 1954.
India was the Chairman of the
Commission, which implemented
ceasefire agreement between Vietnam,
Laos, Cambodia and France. India
provided one infantry battalion and
supporting staff until ICC was wound
up in 1970.
The UN faced one of its worst crises
when war between the government and
the secessionist forces broke out in
Congo in 1960. The UN operation in
Congo, was unique in many ways. The
operation involved heavy casualties. It
was also for the first time that the UN
undertook an operation in an intra-
state rather an inter-state conflict. The
operation upheld the national unity
and territorial integrity of Congo. The
performance of Indian troops was
distinguished by their discipline, self-
restraint and humanitarian concern.
Indian Army provided a Force
Commander and observers for the
Observer Mission in Yemen in 1960.
India also participated in the UN
operation in Cyprus. The UN set up a
Military Observer Group to monitor the
situation on Iran-Iraq border. Following
the end of the Gulf War, the UN
established an Iraq-Kuwait Observer
Mission. UN operation in Namibia is also
considered one of the significant success
stories of the United Nations. In this case
again, the Force Commander was an
Indian officer. Indian military observers
in Namibia were responsible for the
smooth withdrawal of foreign troops,
elections and subsequent handing over
of the authority to the government. In
Mozambique the UN helped to restore
peace and conduct elections. Here also,
India provided a big contingent of
staff officers, independent headquarters,
and engineers. The operation ended
successfully.
INDIA AND THE UNITED NATIONS
Countries which participate in UN
Peace - keeping Operations have to
provide not only the military expertise
but also they have to be politically
acceptable. The range of sensitive
peace-keeping operations, India has
participated in, is a testimony to Indias
political image in all parts of the world.
India has risked the lives of its soldiers
in peace-keeping efforts of the United
Nations, not for any national gain, but
for a noble cause of strengthening the
world body. Therefore, India has not
only provided armed forces in the UN
peace-keeping operations but has also
mastered the techniques of negotiation
and diplomacy at United Nations.
Indian contribution has been so
enormous that a former UN Secretary
General Dag Hammarskjold once said,
the United Nations could not conceive
of a single conflict situation which could
be defused without the constructive
cooperation from countries like India.
AFRO -ASIAN SOLIDARITY
Soon after the establishment of the
United Nations, it became clear that it
was to deal with diversity of issues and
interests of various countries as well as
groups of countries. Size of the
membership was also increasing
continuously. In this situation some
informal group emerged within United
Nations. These groups were formed on
the basis of regional, ideological,
functional, and other considerations.
As you have already studied that even
before independence Indian leaders had
been stressing for solidarity between
243
newly emerging independent Afro-
Asian Countries. It was in this context
that in March 1947 India had hosted
the Asian Regional Conference in
New Delhi. Thereafter, it took lead in
organising Bandung Conference
leading to the establishment of
Non-Aligned Movement.
Within United Nations, India took
lead in organising an informal Afro-
Asian group and has continued to
represent the views of the group in
various fora of the UN. In the earlier
years membership of some newly
independent Afro-Asian countries was
blocked by one Super Power or the
other. India not only supported the
cause of their membership but also
actively pleaded for that. This led to the
admission of 16 countries in the UN.
By 1960s most of the colonies had
achieved independence and were under
pressure from Super Powers for joining
one or the other power bloc. Badly
needed aid for development was being
tied up with the support or opposition
to one power or the other. In this
situation, India along with Egypt,
Yugoslavia, Indonesia, etc. provided the
vision of non-alignment for newly
independent Afro-Asian countries and
worked as a NAM group in the UN to
assert their views on issues of
development and freedom.
India played an active role in the
establishment of Group of 77 and
G-15 and has continued to play a
leadership role in the activities of these
groups to protect and promote the
interests of developing Afro-Asian
groups. Of late African and Asian
244 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
groups have begin to meet and act
separately on various issues. On certain
issues they still remain together. In the
context of globalisation, countries are
also preferring bilateral agreements
with developed industrialised
countries. But it is increasingly
becoming clear that various processes
of globalisation, at present, are being
directed by developed countries to
promote their own economic and
political interests. Recent WTO
negotiations in July 2002 at Doha
prominently manifested differences
between the developed and developing
countries. Similar is the case with the
issue of democratisation and reforms of
the United Nations. Importance of Afro-
Asian unity and their collective voice in
the UN, therefore, is important. India
understands this and her role as a leader
in that has been recognised by all.
REFORM PROCESS OF UNITED
NATIONS
At its inception, after the Second World
War the United Nations had 51 founder
member countries, mostly from
Europe, North America and other
independent countries. The main
concern of the UN at that time was
maintenance of peace, collective
security and elimination of situations
which lead to the devastating World
Wars. Besides these, the UN was faced
with the task of decolonisation and
elimination of discrimination based or
race, religion, region, etc. But, as it
is generally observed that it was
primarily an organisation of developed
independent nations. In due course of
time, with the emergence of new states
as a result of decolonisation, the
membership of the UN kept on
increasing. At present it is 190. The last
country to join the UN as a member in
2002 is Switzerland. With the inclusion
of the new nations underdeveloped,
poor and suppressed for years, there
also have come up new issues,
challenges and aspirations. It is,
therefore, felt that the United Nations
requires reforms and improvements in
its working.
There is a demand that UN should
be more democratised. In the situation
of the new political realities and
challenges of global economic
development, it should become a forum
for all peoples and nations; it should
be more representative of the world and
its diversities and emerging aspirations.
In any case, reform and improvements
are an intrinsic part of any organisation
which has to serve the purpose in
changing environment. The United
Nations is no exception.
India supports a strengthened and
reformed United Nations with its various
organs functioning within their
mandates in accordance with the UN
Charter. It supports an enhanced role
for the United Nations in the
development of various fields. India
firmly believes that this development
should be in conformity with the UNs
agenda which is an indispensable
prerequisite to the maintenance of
international peace and security.
India actively supported the creation
of the UN development programme,
INDIA AND THE UNITED NATIONS
establishment of UN Economic
Programme and responsibility of the UN
in socio- economic spheres of activities.
India has also represented in the High
Level Expert Committee established by
the UN Secretary General in the mid
nineties on the finance of the UN. It
played very constructive role in the
discussions on the Agenda for Peace and
Development. India is one of the
Co-chairperson of the working Group
on Strengthening of the United Nations.
India has been supportive of the UN
Secretary General Kofi Anans reform
proposals. While some of these have
been agreed and implemented,
discussions continue on others. An
important proposal is for holding of the
Millennium Assembly. India believes
that the Millennium Assembly
must identify the goals for the
promotion of development, cooperation,
disarmament, etc; and it must also
provide Developing Nations with the
required resources to effectively tackle
these challenges.
India shares the concerns for
improving efficiency, avoidance of
duplication and minimisation of
bureaucracy in the functioning of the
entire UN system. While efforts for these
objectives need to be intensified, India
believes that member States should pay
their contributions unconditionally, in
full and on time. Default in payments
have caused an unprecedented
financial crisis in the UN system.
Financial reforms is the key to the
future of this world body. Without
sufficient resources, the activities and
role of the UN would suffer.
245
The United Nations as a universal
forum should have as its guiding
principles transparency, non-
discrimination, consensus and equal
respect for the dignity of all individuals,
societies and nations. Values like
environment and development,
resolution of the global debt crisis, or
economic assistance to the poorest
members of the world community,
world trade, etc., are to become the
touchstone at the New Global System.
A significant issue in UN reform
agenda is with regard to UN
Security Council. The composition of
the Security Council has remained
largely static, while the UN General
Assembly membership has expanded
considerably. This has undermined the
representative character of the Security
Council. There is a persistent demand
for the expansion of the Security
Council. There is opposition to it also.
The opponents go on to argue that, for
the United Nations to play an effective
role for ensuring world peace, the
Security Council, must be allowed to
function smoothly. This is not possible
without agreement among the veto-
power holding Permanent Members.
Increase in number of permanent
members will make agreement difficult.
The argument for expansion is that the
role of the United Nations cannot be
strengthened, if it is kept prisoner of the
interests, compulsions or preferences of
a few countries however, powerful they
may be.
Indian view is that the key to
strengthening the role of the United
Nations in the maintenance of world
246 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
peace is necessity of restructuring the
Security Council so that it embodies
greater representative character and
reflects changed realities.
In 1965, the membership of the
Security Council was increased from
11-15. There was no change so far the
number of permanent members is
concerned. Since then, the size of the
Council has remained frozen. Even
more important, than the increase in the
number of Member States of the UN, is
the change in the composition of the
General Assembly. The overwhelming
majority of the General Assembly
members today consists of Afro-Asian
and Latin American developing
countries. Most often, they are the
objects of the Councils actions. Now
they must have role in taking those
decisions which affect them. The
present composition of the Security
Council, particularly the permanent
members category, is weighed heavily
in favour of industrialised developed
countries. This imbalance needs to
be redressed by an expansion
of the Council, by enhancing
the representation of developing
countries both in permanent and non-
permanent categories.
India is of the firm opinion that any
expansion of permanent members
category must be based on transparent
consultations. A resolution moved by
India seeking equitable representation
on, and increase in, the membership of
the Security Council was adopted by
the General Assembly in December
1992. By late 1993, the United States
had reluctantly agreed two permanent
seats being given to Germany and
Japan, the two emerging economic
giants. But there are supporters also
for India, Brazil and Nigeria. As yet no
country has been elevated to the status
of permanent members. India has
always believed in a universal United
Nations in terms of membership.
Another course suggested in this
direction is that the veto power must
be done away with. India is in favour of
this proposal also. Its stand on
expansion of Security Council is on
principles and not the motives of itself
projecting as a candidate for permanent
membership.
From the above discussion of
Indias role in the United Nations, it
becomes clear that from the beginning
India has been playing an active role
in all spheres and activities of the
United Nations. India has played a key
role in easing several crisis situations
from Korea to Congo. India, in many
ways, has been able to build an image,
larger than most of the powerful
nations, by engaging in exercises of
mediation and moderation. It also
resisted efforts by any power bloc to
direct the instrumentality of the United
Nations against other blocs,
threatening the very existence of the
world body. As and when called, it has
responded to the UN to the best of its
efforts. India continues to believe that
if there is hope in the world for a new
dispensation that might lessen conflict
and promote international justice, it
would lie in the reconstructive efforts
that the UN could undertake. Along
with this belief India also is of the firm
INDIA AND THE UNITED NATIONS 247

opinion that in the changed situation reform and these must be carried out
and circumstances, the UN needs at the earliest and with consensus.

EXERCISES

1. Describe the main objective for which the United Nations stand. How far they
have been realised?
2. Examine the role of India in the United Nations.
3. What do you understand by peace-keeping operations? Describe the role played
by India in these.
4. Why a demand for reforms in the Security Council is being made? What reforms
are being suggested?
5. Write short notes on the following:
(i) Veto power;
(ii) Afro-Asian Solidarity;
(iii) Security Council;
(iv) Secretary General of the United Nations;
(v) International Court of Justice.
248 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
CHAPTER 20
India and South Asian Association
of Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
T HE South Asian Association of
Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is an
organisation of seven countries of
South Asia Bhutan, India, Maldives,
Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri
Lanka. SAARC was established to
promote the welfare of the people of the
region through active collaboration
and mutual assistance in the economic,
social, cultural, technical and
scientific fields. It was established on
8 December, 1985. From relatively
modest beginnings, SAARC members
have been gradually expanding their
cooperation to cover new areas of
common interest. India, as the largest
and most populous country in the
region has been playing an important
role in SAARC activities and tries to
provide it with necessary direction for
cooperation and development. The
predominant position enjoyed by India
has been at times viewed by some
countries in the region, with suspicion.
India, however, values SAARC
cooperation as an enlarged dimension
of her bilateral relationship with
the neighbouring countries. To
understand Indias relations with and
its role in SAARC it is essential to know
about the establishment, structure and
objectives of the organisation.
ESTABLISHMENT OF SAARC
After the end of the Second World War
there started a process of formation of
schemes of regional cooperation, both
for economic cooperation and security
purposes. The movement began in
Europe and subsequently spread the
world over. The growth of regional
economic groupings was mainly to
overcome the obstacles of international
trade and for allocation of resources. A
growing awareness of interdependence
among the independent states,
realisation by nations that their
individual interests are combined with
those of other nations in similar
conditions, etc., have stimulated the
process of regional cooperation.
In the developing world, the process
of the formation of regional cooperation
groupings started very late. It started
at the end of 1950s with the schemes
of cooperation in Central and Latin
America. As far as Asia is concerned it
started with the emergence of the
INDIA AND SAARC
Association of South-East Asian
Nations (ASEAN) in 1976 consisting of
Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia,
Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore
and Thailand. Pakistan, Turkey and
Iran had also established the Regional
Cooperation for Development. An
agreement known as the Bangkok
Agreement was signed in July 1975 by
Bangladesh, India, Laos, the
Philippines, Republic of Korea, Sri
Lanka and Thailand for preferential
trading arrangement.
In South Asia, though the countries
shared many common values rooted in
their social, ethnic, cultural and
historical traditions, and had common
tasks for rapid development, to begin
with mutual trust was absent. It was
for various reasons. These included
divergent security interests of the
countries, diverse political cultures,
Indo-Pak conflict, and Indias peculiar
situation in the region. It was during
the last years of 1970s that the then
president of Bangladesh late Zia-ur
Rehman floated the idea that seven
States of South Asia work out a
cooperative arrangement to ameliorate
the stark economic problems of the
region. To initiate the process a
document called Bangladesh working
paper on South Asian Regional
Cooperation spelled out eleven broad
areas for cooperation. These were
Tele communication, Meteorology,
T ransport, Shipping, Tourism,
Agricultural Research, Joint Ventures,
Market Promotion, Scientific and
Technical Cooperation, Educational
and Cultural cooperation. The paper
249
expressed the hope that this cooperation
would promote peace and stability in
the region through adherence to the
principles of the United Nations and
Non-Alignment; there would be a
determination to uphold respect for the
principles of sovereignty, non
interference in each others internal
affairs, non-use of force and peaceful
settlement of disputes.
After meetings and studies at
different levels among seven countries
of the region, in March 1983 it was
decided to hold a foreign ministers
meeting in Delhi. In the Delhi meeting
the foreign ministers of all the seven
countries signed the South Asian
Regional Cooperation agreement. The
declaration stated that regional
cooperation in South Asia is beneficial,
desirable and necessary and it will help,
promote the welfare and improve the
quality of life of the people of the region.
Finally, the first summit meeting of the
Heads of the State or Government was
held in Dacca; and the SAARC Charter
was adopted on 8 December, 1985; and
South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation was born. India played
a vital role in the development of
this organisation.
In February 1987, the SAARC
Secretariat came into being with a
Secretary General and four directors.
SAARC has a four-tier structure. At the
lowest level are the Technical
committees of experts and officials
formulating programmes of action and
organising seminars and workshops.
Next is the standing committee of
Foreign Secretaries to review and
250
coordinate the recommendations of the
Technical Committees, which meets at
least once a year, Above this is the
Foreign Ministers conference, also held
at least once a year to grant political
approval to the recommendations of the
Standing Committee. At the apex is the
Summit Meeting held annually to give
political significance to SAARC. The
SAARC secretariat has been established
at Kathmandu in Nepal.
THE SAARC OBJECTIVES
The Charter of the SAARC mentions the
following objectives of the organisation:
(i) to promote the welfare of the
people in South Asian countries,
and to improve their quality of life;
(ii) to accelerate economic growth,
social progress and cultural
development;
(iii) to promote and strengthen
collective self-reliance;
(iv) to contribute to mutual trust,
understanding and appreciation
of each others problems;
(v) to promote mutual assistance in
the economic, social, cultural,
technical and scientific field;
(vi) to strengthen cooperation with
other developing countries;
(vii) to strengthen cooperation among
themselves in international fora;
(viii) to cooperate with other regional
and international organisations.
According to the SAARC Charter,
the organisations working principles
are:
(i) Regional cooperation through
SAARC shall be based on mutual
DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
respect for the principles of
sovereignty, equality, territorial
integrity, political independence,
non-interference in internal affairs
of other states and mutual benefit;
(ii) Such cooperation shall not be a
substitute for bilateral and
multilateral cooperation, but shall
complement them;
(iii) Such cooperation shall not be
inconsistent with bilateral and
multi lateral obligations.
From the declared objectives and
principles of SAARC it is clear that the
emphasis is on regional cooperation
without interference either in bilateral or
multilateral obligations, and without
disregarding sovereign equality, or
challenging territorial integrity and
independence of its members. It needs
to be kept in mind that SAARC is an
organisation only for cooperation in
development and welfare. It is not a
strategic, defense or military alliance. The
organisers of SAARC were also clear
about keeping political issues out of
SAARC. Therefore it was incorporated
in the Charter that bilateral issues or
disputes shall not be raised or discussed
in the SAARC fora. In spite of this
provision, occasionally, there have been
attempts to bring issues of conflict or
political differences between the two or
more countries at SAARC meetings.
Those who are in favour of getting such
issues within the preview of SAARC say
that it would evolve better regional trust
and understanding. India, however, is
firmly opposed to bringing bilateral and
contentious political issues at SAARC
meetings. However, the Summit
INDIA AND SAARC
meetings provide occasions for informal
political consultations. Such informal
consultations are, by their very nature,
unstructured. The Summit also provides
opportunity for informal bilateral
consultations in the bilateral meetings
between SAARC leaders on the sidelines.
The differences on expanding the
organisations agenda on political issues
continues. In addition to conflicting
security perceptions, such differences
are causing a serious problem in the
working of organisation. However,
during more than two decades of
its existence, SAARC has given
opportunities to regional leaders to meet
at regular intervals and has brought in
some cooperation in developmental
activities. Let us have a look on
some aspects of this.
SAARC IN ACTION AND INDIA
As already mentioned, SAARC was
established primarily for cooperation in
agriculture, rural development, science
and technology, culture, health,
population control, narcotics, and
terrorism. From relatively modest
beginnings, SAARC members have
been gradually expanding their
cooperation to cover new areas of
common interest.
In the beginning, SAARC focused
primarily on technical cooperation with
the aim of creating common ground.
Eleven Technical Committees
have been set up under SAARC,
covering Agriculture, Communications,
Education, Culture and Sports,
Environment and Meteorology, Health
251
and Population activities, Prevention
of Drug T raf ficking and Abuse,
Rural Development, Science and
Technology, Tourism, Transport and
Womens Development. These Technical
Committees draw up an Annual
Calendar of activities for exchange
of information, formulation of
programmes and preparation of
projects in their respective fields. These
do not comprise the exclusive areas of
cooperation, and SAARC activities and
meetings take place on specific subjects
of common interest, as and when
required. Four SAARC Regional
Centres have also been set up on
Agricultural Information, (DHAKA),
Tuberculosis Prevention, (Kathmandu),
Meteorological Research, (Dhaka) and
on Documentation of SAARC interests.
India hosts the SAARC Documentation
Centre. A fifth Regional Centre on
Human Resource Development is
proposed to be established in
Islamabad, Pakistan.
Beginning in about 1990, the
second stage of cooperation within
SAARC was on the Social Agenda.
Major initiatives have been taken on
social issues such as eradication of
poverty, promotion of literacy, and
development of women and children. It
was decided that the decade 2001-
2010 would be designated as the
SAARC Decade of the Rights of the
Child. SAARC will also pay particular
attention to the evil of trafficking in
women and children. A Regional
Convention on Prevention of Trafficking
in women and children has been
negotiated and signed at the Eleventh
252 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
Summit in Kathmandu. This
Convention provides for extradition or
prosecution under national laws of
persons involved in trafficking. It also
provides for assistance in investigations
and for orderly repatriation of victims
of trafficking.
Particular focus has been placed on
the persistent problem of poverty in the
region and the Heads of State or
Government of SAARC countries have
committed themselves to the
eradication of poverty in South Asia,
preferably by the year 2002 AD.
An agreement on establishing a
SAARC Food Security Reserve was
signed in 1987 and came into effect on
the 12 August, 1988. This provided for
a reserve of food grains for meeting
emergencies in member countries. The
reserve is to be maintained at a
minimum level of 2,00,000 tonnes with
Indias share being 1,53,000 tonnes.
SAARC has also taken up the issue
of environment. Four Ministerial
Meetings on Environment have been
held so far. The Third Meeting of SAARC
Environment Ministers was held in
Maldives in October 1997 to consider
the recommendations of the two SAARC
Studies on Causes and Consequences
of Natural Disasters and Green House
Effect and its Impact on the Region. The
meeting adopted an Environment
Action Plan focussing on environmental
impact, evaluation, exchange of
information and development of human
resources through training. A
beginning has also been made to
develop cooperation in the important
field of information and media. The first
SAARC information Ministers Meeting
which was held in Dhaka in April
1998 adopted an Action Plan for
strengthening cooperation through,
inter alia, greater interaction amongst
media personnel, cooperation amongst
news agencies, free flow of newspapers,
journals and books within the region
and reduction of hostile propaganda.
SAARC has also put in place
institutional arrangements for
cooperation in combating terrorism and
trafficking in narcotics. Of course
problems remain with regard to
implementation of these conventions.
The SAARC Convention on Suppression
of Terrorism was signed in November
1987 and came into effect on 22
August, 1988 after ratification by all
Member States. Under its provisions,
Member States are committed to
extradite or prosecute alleged
terrorists, thus preventing them from
enjoying safe havens. Regional
Cooperation is also envisaged in
preventive action to combat terrorism.
However, Pakistan and Bangladesh are
still to enact the necessary domestic
legislation to give effect to the
Convention. The SAARC Terrorist
Offences Monitoring Desk has been
established in Colombo to collect,
analyse and disseminate information on
terrorist incidents. The SAARC
Convention on Narcotic Drugs and
Psychotropic Substances was signed in
November 1990 and came into force on
15 September, 1993 following
ratification by all Member States. Most
important issue on SAARC agenda is
of cooperation in trade and core areas
INDIA AND SAARC
of economy. In this context,
operationalisation of the South Asian
Preferential Trading Arrangement
(SAPTA) has evoked much interest.
Movement now is towards achievement
of South Asian Free T rade Area
(SAFTA). We will discuss this in detail a
bit later. Let us first have a look at Indias
role in SAARC.
In all the activities of SAARC Indias
participation and contribution has been
significant. Certain aspects of Indias
relations within the subcontinent are
conducted through SAARC. India
developed many international treaties
along with SAARC, and was the source
of many of those ideas, some of which
are: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
Timber, Wetlands, Desertification, etc.
These treaties were implemented by
other nations as well on the guidelines
of India. The Indian contribution to
SAARC was significant when its
representatives were chosen as the
chairpersons for two big events in
SAARC, one of which was Agricultural
programme (including forestry), and the
other one being the Science and
Technology (Energy Development)
Programme. New Delhi hosted meetings
for various programmes like
Environment (1992 and 1997) and
commerce (1996). The second SAARC
summit was also held in Bangalore on
17 November, 1986. Some important
outcomes of this summit were: it was
253
felt that in keeping with the view that
the government should have people-
to-people contact; some concrete steps
should be taken to facilitate tourism
in the region, including facilities for
limited convertibility of national
currencies for tourists from SAARC
countries; A South Asian Broadcasting
Programme covering both radio and
television should be launched; The
Heads of State or Government
emphasised that in view of the
importance they attach to students,
scholars and researchers in their
countries should have ready access to
reliable and up-to-date information on
technical, scientific and developmental
matters. This need could be met by a
SAARC Documentation Centre as the
repository of such information; it was
also felt that it is essential to promote
increasing cross-fertilisation of ideas
through greater interaction among
students, scholars and academics in
the SAARC countries. The Heads of the
State or Government, therefore,
directed that a concerted programme
of exchange of scholars be formulated
and action taken for an early
institution of SAARC scholarships,
SAARC Fellowships and SAARC
Chairs; it was stressed that the
idealism of youth must be harnessed
for regional cooperative programme. It
was also decided that an Organised
Volunteers Programme be established
in SAARC under which volunteers
from one country would be able to
work in other countries in the
fields of agriculture and forestry
extension work.
254 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
The eighth summit of SAARC was
held in New Delhi on 4 may, 1995. The
Heads of State or Government
expressed their satisfaction on the
achievements of the First Decade of
SAARC and resolved to celebrate its
completion of the First Decade both in
the individual Member States and
collectively. They endorsed the proposal
of the Council of Ministers to convene a
Commemorative Session of the Council
on the theme SAARC Vision for the
Second Decade to identify the areas on
which SAARC should focus in its
Second Decade. They reaffirmed their
commitment to the eradication of
poverty in South Asia, preferably by the
year 2002 AD through an agenda of
action. They thus declared 1995 as the
SAARC Year of Poverty Eradication.
The SAARC meet noted that
subsequent to the signing of the
Framework agreement on SAARC
Preferential Trading Arrangement
(SAPTA) during their Seventh Summit
in Dhaka in April 1993, the first round
of trade negotiations to exchange trade
concessions among Member States has
been completed. They directed that all
necessary steps should be taken to
facilitate ratification by all Member
States and operationalise SAPTA by the
end of 1995 as mandated. The eighth
summit was the most significant as all
the major topics were discussed in it,
including the rights of women, children,
disabled, etc. The literacy issue was
taken up and many developments were
introduced in it.
The SAARC Development Centre
found its way in New Delhi in May 1994.
Thus, New Delhi was a major help to
SAARC and without India, the
community would have not been as
profited as it had been.
SAARC ECONOMIC COOPERATION
AND INDIA (SAPTA AND SAFTA)
Cooperation in core areas of economic
cooperation among SAARC countries is
fairly recent. South Asia as a region is
economically quite underdeveloped.
Nearly 1/5th of the worlds population
lives in South Asia which is only 2.7
per cent of the worlds land surface. All
the economies of the region are
predominantly rural and agricultural.
The countries of this region are among
the poorest in the world. The share of
South Asia in world trade continues to
be insignificant. India from the
beginning has been insisting on free
trade among SAARC countries. In this
direction, the first step was taken in
1995 with the agreement on creation
of South Asian Preferential Trade
Agreement (SAPTA).
SAPTA
Though necessity for cooperation in
trade among neighbouring countries
have always been felt, the decade of
1990s gave it added importance. By this
time with the emergence of new regional
trading blocks across the world, the
South Asian countries were faced with
a tight position on the export front. Also,
trading within SAARC region had
become necessary as aid flow to this
region was slowing down. With this
background, initiative for preferential
INDIA AND SAARC
trade, i.e. for SAPTA was taken at the
SAARC summit at Colombo in
December 1991. Later, on April 11
1993 a document to set up South
Asian Preferential Trade Agreement
was signed by the ministers of
member countries during Summit
Meetings at Dhaka. Finally, SAPTA was
operationalised in December 1995,
following ratification of the SAPTA
agreement by all SAARC countries.
Each country has offered items for
trade under concessional tariffs.
A major boost to trade within the
region was provided by the bold
initiative taken by India to unilaterally
lift all Quantitative Restrictions
preferentially from SAARC countries
from 1 August, 1998. Over 2000
products from the Restricted List have
been placed on Open General List for
SAARC countries, substantially
enhancing their access to the Indian
market. The Third Round of Trade
Negotiations concluded on 23
November, 1998. A total of 34,556
tariff lines were covered under
concessional tariffs and India offered
more than half the concessions. India
has also offered to conclude
bilateral free trade agreements with
those countries who are willing to
move faster.
Sri Lanka has taken up the offer
and negotiations are under way for a
bilateral India-Sri Lanka Free Trade
Agreement. India already has Free
Trade Agreements with Nepal and
Bhutan. Infact the ultimate aim of
SAPTA is to bring a South Asia Free
Trade Area (SAFTA).
255
SAFTA
A Free Trade Area means that trading
among the countries of the area is free
from custom restrictions and duties. It
means there is free flow of goods. The
SAPTA was to achieve this goal. It was
expected that discussions would soon
begin to replace SAPTA by South Asia
Free T rade Area (SAFTA) by the
beginning of twenty-first century. The
leaders at the Tenth SAARC Summit at
Colombo decided to set up a committee
of Experts to conclude a Treaty by
2001 on SAFTA. However, so far it has
not come. This treaty has to spell out
legally binding schedules for freeing
trade and provide a predictable and
transparent blueprint for achieving a
free trade area in South Asia. It will also
include special facilitative measures for
the Least Developed countries. The
Eleventh Summit meeting in
Kathmandu in January 2002 laid
stress on taking necessary measures
towards attainment of this agreement.
Differences between countries however
remain to be sorted out.
Apart from SAPTA and SAFTA,
economic cooperation is being
institutionalised by other means also.
One of these is the meeting of Commerce
Ministers of SAARC countries. The
First SAARC Commerce Ministers
Conference was held in New Delhi in
January 1996, when the SAARC Trade
Fair was also hosted by India. This has
now become an annual feature
along with a conference organised by
the SAARC Chamber of Commerce
and Industry.
256 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
Regional arrangements are also
being considered for intra-regional
investment promotion and protection,
and avoidance of double taxation. A
SAARC visa Exemption Scheme was
initiated in 1988 with a view to promote
closer and frequent contacts among the
people of the SAARC region which
became operational from 1 March ,
1992. The scheme has been
progressively expanded to cover
twenty-one categories of persons
eligible for visa free travel in the SAARC
region. Thus, the organisation, with
some built-in problems and diversity
of interest among member countries, is
moving ahead to achieve it aims.
From the above discussion
it becomes clear that while
regional cooperation through regional
organisation has been coming up in a
significant way in various parts of the
world, in South Asia it began quite late.
It was only in 1985 that SAARC was
established as an organisation for
cooperation in the region. The goals of
SAARC have been kept development
oriented. Conscious efforts have been
made to entertain modest aims,
excluding more or less contentions and
bilateral issues. SAARC also suffers
from built-in contradictions, conflict
among States, diversity of problems,
differences in security perceptions and
absence of required political thrust.
Indias position in SAARC is unique.
It accounts for 72 per cent of the
regions area, 77 per cent of its
population, and 78 per cent of its Gross
National Product. Its armed forces
account for about 50 per cent of the
regions total armed strength. India
shares borders with all other six
countries. Thus being the largest
nation, economy wise, area wise and
population wise, India has the potential
to contribute the most and provide
leadership to the organisation. But the
nature of conflicts in the region,
particularly India-Pakistan, also
creates apprehensions among smaller
countries about domination by India.
In view of this, India has been playing
a very cautious role. It has contributed
significantly in all the activities of
SAARC but has not tried to behave as
a leader of the organisation. Needless
to say conflictual relationship between
India and Pakistan is one of the major
bottleneck in the development of
SAARC. India has taken several steps
and made suggestions to keep the
developmental issues separate from
political. Changes in the international
political and economic situation
demand a greater cooperation among
the countries of the region. There are
certain positive developments which
raise hope for a better cooperation
among SAARC counties. Most
important of these is a realisation
among the people of all the countries
that peace, harmonious coexistence
and cooperation are a must to survive
with dignity in the present day
competitive and fast moving world.
INDIA AND SAARC 257

EXERCISES

1. Describe the background and efforts made for the establishment of South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
2. What are objectives and principles of SAARC?
3. What important activities SAARC has taken up during its existence? What has
been Indias role in them?
4. What is the importance of cooperation in core economic areas? What lead
India has taken towards such a cooperation in the region.
5. Write short notes on the following:
(i) Second SAARC Summit (1986);
(ii) Eighth SAARC Summit (1995);
(iii) SAPTA;
(iv) SAFTA.
258 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
CHAPTER 21
Indias Role in Non-Aligned Movement
I N one of the previous chapters you
have read that one of the basic
tenets of our foreign policy has
been non-alignment. As an element
of foreign policy non-alignment
means independent of blocs,
peaceful coexistence, global peace,
disarmament, struggle against all
manifestations of injustices like
imperialism, colonialism, apartheid etc.
After Indias adoption of non-alignment
as the core element of its foreign policy,
it also became a model for other newly
independent countries. Most of them
adopted it as an instrument for
independence in international relations.
Soon non-alignment, in addition to a
significant perspective of foreign policy,
became a movement of solidarity and
cooperation among the newly liberated
countries of Asia, Africa and Latin
America. Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)
was thus founded as a solidarity
movement for giving voice to Third
World Countries. Its essential purpose
was to maintain equidistance in cold
War rivalries and advocate principles for
the promotion of world peace and
cooperation. In due course of time,
NAM became the largest membership
movement as also the largest peace
movement in the history of humanity.
In both, in its founding and later
consolidation and development, India
played a significant role. In fact, in
many ways India has been considered
as a non-formal leader of the NAM.
BIRTH OF NAM
The Non-Alignment as a movement was
founded formally in 1961 at Belgrade
in Yugoslavia, it called the first Summit
Conference of Non-Aligned Nations.
This Conference was sponsored by
Egypt, India and Yugoslavia, seeking
to enhance the international influence
of the participants vis--vis the great
powers and the existing military
alliances. In this Conference 25
countries participated as member -
states. The criteria for invitation to this
Conference was composed of the
following five points:
(i) The country should have adopted
an independent policy based on
coexistence of states with different
political and social systems and
should be showing a trend in
favour of Non-Aligned policy.
INDIAS ROLE IN NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT
(ii) The country concerned should
be consistently supporting
the movements for national
independence.
(iii) The country should not be
a member of any multilateral
military alliance concluded in the
context of Great Power conflicts.
(iv) If a country has a bilateral military
agreement with a great power or
is a member of a regional defence
pact, the agreement or pact should
not be one deliberately concluded
in the context of great power
conflicts.
(v) If it has conceded military bases
to a foreign power, the concession
should not have been made in the
context of great power conflicts.
ORIGIN OF NAM AND INDIAS ROLE
Though as a formal organised
movement NAM started with the
holding of the Belgrade Summit of Non-
Aligned countries in 1961, its seeds
were sown by India, particularly by
Jawaharlal Nehru even before
attainment of Indias independence. It
was in the broadcast made by
Jawaharlal Nehru on 7 September,
1946, a week after the Indian
Provisional government was formed.
Nehru said:
We propose, as far as possible, to keep
away from the power politics of groups,
aligned against one another, which have led
in the past two world wars and which may
again lead to disasters on an even vaster scale.
We seek no domination over others and we
claim no privileged position over other people.
But we do claim equal and honourable
259
treatment for our people wherever they may
go, and we cannot accept any discrimination
against them. We believe that peace and
freedom are indivisible and the denial of
freedom anywhere must endanger freedom
elsewhere and lead to conflict and war.
It is quite clear that Nehru was
articulating the ideas of decolonisation,
national independence, non-bloc
politics, peaceful coexistence,
eradication of racialism and the need
for the developing countries to play an
active role in international affairs. It was
at the initiative of Jawaharlal Nehru
that India became the venue of the first
forum of the liberated nations, when
representatives of 28 countries met in
New Delhi in March 1947 (before formal
declaration of independence of India) at
the Conference on Regional Cooperation
among the Asian Countries known as
Asian Relations Conference. At this
Conference Bandaranaike from Sri
Lanka, both by the force of his
conviction and under the influence of
Nehrus ideas, declared: I am
convinced, and we all hope that this
conference will lay the foundation of a
broader cooperation between the free
and equal States in Asia, lighting not
only for their nations future, but also
in the name of humanity, peace and
progress.
The Asian Relation Conference thus
can truly be called the foundation stone
for NAM. Nehru who had organised this
Conference observed: For too long we
of Asia have been petitioners in the
Western Courts and Chancelleries. That
story now must belong to the past. We
propose to stand on our own feet and
260 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
to cooperate with all others who are
prepared to cooperate with us. We do
not intend to be the play-thing of
others.
BANDUNG CONFERENCE
Along with Nehru some other leaders
in the world were also projecting these
perceptions of newly independent
countries. President Josip Broz Tito of
Yugoslavia, President Gamel Abdul
Nasser of Egypt (then called United
Arab Republic), President Kwame
Nkrumah of Ghana and President
Ahmed Soekarno of Indonesia were
prominent among these. Together with
Nehru they evolved a coherent outlook
and position on Non-Alignment. These
leaders were largely instrumental in
channelling the emerging changes
towards the liberation of the people of
the world and towards evolving a new
vision of the world order. They
rejected outright the notion that East-
West relations alone constituted
international affairs and asserted their
own role in shaping these affairs.
On the initiative of these leaders the
conference of Afro-Asian Nations was
held in Bandung (Indonesia) in April
1955. The participants from 23 Asian
and 6 African States represented
mainly the people of young States
which had been setup as a result of
the new balance of forces of democracy
and freedom on the one hand and of
colonialism and oppression on the
others. The states participating in the
conference did not belong to any
military or political blocs, and they had
taken clear and definite positions on
the problems facing mankind. Despite
their different perspectives, the
countries represented at the Bandung
Conference arrived at a common
position in the larger interest of
world peace.
One of the most important
achievements of the Bandung
Conference was the Declaration on
World Peace and Cooperation. This
declaration embodied the principles of
Panchsheel which were first stated in
the Preamble to the agreement between
India and China in April 1954. These
were five principles of mutual respect
for territorial integrity and sovereignty,
non-belligerence, non-interference in
internal affairs, equality and mutual
advantage, and peaceful coexistence.
The final communiqu of the
Conference did not limit itself to the
enumeration of the regions problems
but also called for concrete steps to
be taken for disarmament and
safeguarding of peace in the world. The
Conference served as the major support
of the bridge linking the Afro-Asian,
European and Latin American people
and the role they intended to play in
the New World Order. Nehru asserted
at Bandung There is no doubt that our
influence will grow. It is growing in fact,
and we do exercise some influence even
today. But whether our influence is
great or small, it must be exercised in
the right direction.
The Bandung Conference was
followed by a tripartite meeting in July
1956, between Nehru, Tito and Nasser
at Brioni. In this meeting affirming the
INDIAS ROLE IN NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT
Bandung principles, the three leaders,
in a joint statement rejected the division
of the world into rival power blocs as
one which had the effect of perpetuating
confrontation. They also asserted their
conviction that the policy of Non-
Alignment pursued by them had to a
certain extent, contributed to the
lessening of international tension and
to the development of equal relations
between nations. They reiterated their
resolve to carry forward that policy and
to evolve a collective framework for that
purpose. The differences in their social
and political systems hardly constituted
an obstacle. The Brioni meeting was a
landmark in the ongoing process of
consultations which eventually led to
the convening of the first Non-Aligned
Summit at Belgrade in 1961, heralding
the formal launching of the Non-Aligned
Movement.
INDIAS PIVOTAL ROLE IN NAM
It is quite clear that in the founding of
NAM India not only played an active role
as one of the founders but in many
ways it was the initiator of the
Movement. As we have already seen
non-alignment as a concept of global
politics, as a foreign policy premise and
as a perspective of maximising national
interest of the newly liberated countries
was a vision Indian national leadership
had developed during its freedom
struggle itself. The vision became the
core element of Indias foreign policy
after independence and of other
countries which attained independence
from that period onwards. Soon, it
261
became a movement of solidarity,
cooperation and understanding among
the newly independent countries; these
countries are known as the Third World
or Developing Countries. The non-
aligned movement, thus, emerged from
Indias initiative for formulating an
independent foreign policy. This
independent foreign policy was based
on a solid moral and sound political
foundation. It was a non-partisan
foreign policy. Indias moral approach
to international politics was further
projected through the Panchsheel in
1954. Within three years, eighteen
countries had endorsed the Panchsheel
principles in joint communiqus with
Indian leaders. These principles were
practically incorporated in the Ten
Principles declared at Bandung. In
addition during its initial years of
independence itself, India played a very
active role in peaceful resolution of
some complex international issues and
persistently lobbied in United Nations
for disarmament. All these made the
idea of non-alignment, the initial basic
tenet in Indias foreign policy, a
mechanism providing link between the
coordinated actions of the anti-
imperialist and anti-colonial forces, as
an assertion of independence in foreign
affairs, as a process of weakening of
power blocs, as a symbol of defiance
against big power domination and as a
diplomatic innovation in the phase of
politics of confrontation and cold war.
Over forty years of its existence the NAM
has been developing a comprehensive
political philosophy, a programme of
action, and a new and positive system
262 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
of international economic and political
relations. From its founding India has
remained one of the most active
members of NAM and has played a
pivotal role in its various activities and
developments.
NAM IN ACTION AND INDIA
We have discussed above that the first
Summit Conference of non-aligned
countries in 1961 at Belgrade was the
culmination of the process of
development from an impulse to an
idea, from an idea to a policy and from
a policy to a movement. The summit was
convened for the purpose of exchanging
views on international problems with a
view to contributing more effectively to
world peace and security and peaceful
cooperation among peoples. It was the
first Summit Conference of the Non-
Aligned Movement under the
stewardship of the leaders of the Asian,
African and Latin American countries
along with the lone European country,
Yugoslavia. The agenda of the Summit
listed exchange of views on the
international situation, establishment
and strengthening of International
Peace and Security, Problems of
Unequal Economic Development,
Promotion of International Economic
and Technical Cooperation which
exhibited the deep understanding of the
international problems by the leaders
of the NAM. The leaders were very
specific in their agenda with regard to
the issue of strengthening international
peace and security which was presented
as under:
Respect of the right of peoples and
nations to self-determination, struggle
against imperialism, liquidation of
colonialism and neo-colonialism, respect
of sovereignty and territorial integrity of
states, non-interference and non-
intervention in the internal affairs of states:
racial discrimination and apartheid;
general and complete disarmament;
banning of nuclear tests; problem of
foreign military bases; peaceful
coexistence among states with different
political and social systems and role and
structure of the United Nations and the
implementation of its resolutions.
India both in its foreign policy
declarations and by its actions made it
clear that Non-Alignment was to be
different from the passive concepts of
neutrality as well as isolationism. Non-
Alignment was not intended to seek
isolation from crucial world issues. On
the contrary, it was a policy designed
to secure an active engagement and
involvement with international affairs.
It signified independence of judgment
on world issues. It called for freedom of
opinion and of action. It was indeed
throwing ones weight on the side of
peace, equity, justice and human
dignity. To quote Pandit Nehru:
When there is a crisis involving the
possibility of war, the very fact that we are
unaligned should stir us to feel that more
than ever it is up to us to do whatever we can
to prevent such a calamity coming upon us.
The two essential though inter-
related constituents of the Non-
Alignments concept, as it evolved, are
the primacy of national independence
and active, peaceful coexistence.
INDIAS ROLE IN NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT
The rejection of military alliances,
refusal to be yes-men of this or that
power and opposition to all forms of
colonial domination and racial
discrimination all flowed from this
irrepressible urge for independence.
The second component of the Non-
Alignment related to the struggle for a
new structure on which to base
relations amongst people and countries
relations characterised by equality,
peace and cooperation rather than
perilous confrontation.
The attainment of political
independence was not the end of the
story but the beginning of a new chapter
in which the focus was on economic
self-reliance. In this field too, India has
played a pioneering role. Pandit
Jawaharlal Nehru lost no time in setting
up a Planning Commission to draw up
the blueprint of Indias Five-Year Plans
which allotted enough weightage to
Public Sector. Many of the other newly
independent countries established
contacts with India in order to benefit
from Indian experience. The World
Bank, despite its strong bias for the
private sector, began to advise
developing countries which sought its
assistance to have some kind of
developmental plan, on the policy-
planning pattern of India. In
consequence, contacts between India
and other developing countries were
further strengthened.
After the UNCTAD came into
existence, the developing countries
organised themselves into a group
known as the Group of 77; at that time
it was the number of the developing
263
countries in the UN. This name has
continued even though the number of
such countries has increased to over
hundred. The Group of 77 certainly
succeeded in getting a number of
constructive ideas accepted in the
UNCTAD.
In 1990, at Belgrade, the NAM
decided to create G-15 as an interface
with G-7 (the group of seven most
industrialised States) realising correctly
that economic issues had taken
primacy over political-strategic ones.
NAM rightly felt that its new role
would be in creating South-South
co operation, which would mean, by
and large collaboration between and
among the non-aligned nations and in
defending the interests of these nations
from the fast expanding economic and
technological power of the North. India
had been a member both 05G-77 and
G-15 and is playing a leadership role.
Indias contribution as organiser of
the seventh conference of NAM in 1983
at New Delhi was particularly
appreciated in the use of its political
prestige and strength to draw
participants attention to such issues
as the struggle for averting nuclear war,
putting an end to the arms race, and
the need for disarmament, anti-
colonialism and anti -racism. After this
conference India, in its capacity of the
chairperson of NAM, sponsored a
proposal in the United Nations to freeze
nuclear weapons and to conclude an
international convention on banning
the use of nuclear weapons. India also
organised a Six Nations Disarmament
Group to impress upon the nuclear
264
powers to stop the arms race. India
has also played a very active role
in defending the freedom of
countries for use of nuclear energy.
It has vociferously opposed the
discriminatory attitude of nuclear
powers, particularly on CTBT and NPT.
Indias refusal to allow the deeply
faulted CTBT to go to the United
Nations alerted USA and its allies; they
felt that they can not take the leading
powers of the South for granted. It
imparted a sense of strength to NAM.
Right from the beginning a very
important task before NAM had
been to fight against racism. In this,
India has played an outstanding
role, particularly against apartheid.
At the Harare NAM Summit
in September 1986, Indian Prime
Minister Rajiv Gandhi proposed and
successfully persuaded the member
States to create Action for Resisting
Invasion, Colonialism and Apartheid
Fund (popularly known as Africa
Fund). The main objectives of the Fund
were to strengthen the economic and
financial capabilities of the Frontline
States to fight the apartheid regime of
South Africa. The Harare Summit
created the Fund and India was
appointed the Chairman of the nine
member AFRICA Fund Committee
whose responsibility was to raise the
fund. India herself contributed Rs 500
million by January 1987. It was
primarily the efforts of NAM with very
effective role of India in it that finally in
1994 apartheid ended in South Africa.
Thus on account of its steadfast
support to NAM, India has all along
DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
been a pillar of strength of its members.
Today after the end of cold war
and beginning of the process of
globalisation when doubts on the very
existence of NAM are being raised there
is need that NAM is strengthened.
Indias stakes in this task are of
considerable importance. India as a
developed among the developing non-
aligned countries has to concentrate on
retaining the independent character of
the Movement working for evolution of
a just international order.
NAM IN POST-COLD WAR PERIOD
AND ITS RELEVANCE
From the period of the formation of its
vision at Bandung in 1955 and first
Summit at Belgrade in 1961, NAM has
traveled a long and eventful path.
Starting with a membership of 25
countries, its membership has grown
to 114. There have also been shifts in
its perspective and preoccupations
necessitated by the change in
international scenario. However, the
changed perceptions that have come in
the 1990s have placed NAM almost at
Cross Roads.
With the disintegration of the
erstwhile Soviet Union and break up of
Socialist bloc, there have emerged new
global situations and issues. The
process of globalisation has also begin.
Humanitarian aid to the developing
world has greatly been reduced.
Greater conditions are being imposed
on the aid to the South, such as
allowing access to transnational
companies. Most of the developed and
INDIAS ROLE IN NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT
developing nations have adopted an
open market policy. Again, these
countries have formed an agenda of
regional economic cooperation. The
European Union has been established
as a significant regional cooperation
group. The Association of South-East
Asian Nations (ASEAN) has also made
remarkable achievement in forming a
formidable economic bloc. The North
American Free T rade Agreement
(NAFTA) has emerged as a strong
economic bloc in North America and the
Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC) has also been progressing well
in creating a consensus for economic
cooperation in Asia and Pacific region.
Most countries, even NAM members,
have started taking decisions
pragmatically and individually. In
the context of these far -reaching
developments there has started a
debate about the relevance of NAM. It
is being argued by some that in the
changed situation, non-alignment and
most of the policies associated with it
have become irrelevant.
There is however, a significant
opinion in favour of continuous
relevance and role of NAM in the post-
cold war world. India, as one of the
active founder members of NAM is not
only in the forefront of proclaiming non-
alignment as the sheet anchor of its
foreign policy but also advocating the
continuous role of NAM with some
changes in its perspectives and
priorities. From the beginning of 1990s
the Movement has realised the need to
shift from an approach of confrontation
to one of dialogue and cooperation
265
with industrial countries. Also
circumstances, over which many
member countries of NAM had no
control, compelled them to develop a
variety of relations with super powers
and their allies. But these States have
not deviated from the basic criterion of
non-alignment, namely pursuit of
policies that strengthened their
existence as independent sovereign
States, belief in the coexistence of States
with different political and social
systems and support for national
liberation movements and movements
against racism.
The end of cold war in many ways
has vindicated the principles and
policies of NAM. At the same time it is a
fact that though the cold war is over,
peace in the world is still threatened by
forces of extremism, discord, aggressive
nationalism, terrorism and piling up of
large stocks of weapons of mass
destruction. The dynamics of
globalisation has thrown a whole range
of new problems for the non-aligned
developing countries. While the
developing world is largely supportive
of mutually beneficial global
integration, it has major concerns
which are not being addressed in the
global agenda. These are: equitable
balance between rights and obligations
of investors particularly multinationals;
extra-territorial application of domestic
laws; intrusive and calculated invoking
of human rights agenda; labour
standards and intellectual property
rights; and conditionalities of
environmental protection and
preservation and opening up of
266 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
national economies tied to grant of aid
and trade concessions. Developing
countries are increasingly exposed to
pressures to confirm to an agenda which
is being defined and driven by others.
The need for the articulation of the
viewpoint of the disadvantaged is as
strong as ever. NAM provides platform
to these countries for consulting and
developing common positions and
coordinated approaches to safeguard
their rights and promote their interests.
The imperatives that propelled founding
fathers of NAM to get together to speak
with one voice and collectively declare
their determination, to assert their right
to participate fully in the process of
taking decisions on world issues in the
light of their own national interests are
still with us today.
Common to the most, if not all, NAM
countries are problems of poverty,
hunger, disease, ignorance, illiteracy,
rising foreign debts, deteriorating terms
of trade, inflation and unemployment.
Therefore, the most important task that
confronts the NAM today is to find ways
and means to overcome these
problems.
The scenario, once again, places
India in a special situation. Though its
problems are stupendous as a poor
country, there is a measure of
buoyancy in its economy. Its food
position is satisfactory and its foreign
exchange reserves are comfortable. Its
advancements in the field of science,
technology and industry permit it to
render economic and technological
assistance to many countries of Asia
and Africa. Its economy is now much
less vulnerable to external shocks or
internal adverse factors. Thus, to a great
extent India remains in a position to
promote the ideal of collective self-
reliance among non-aligned countries.
In 1977, in the 12th meeting of NAM
Foreign Minister, the former Prime
Minister of India, I.K. Gujral, highlighted
the points responsible for the re-
emergence of new imperialism of the
West. He said : The G-7 are writing the
global agenda, new labour laws and
social clauses; selecting global
investment regimes; preaching human
rights, environmental conditionalities,
protectionism, etc. The five permanent
members of the UN Security Council
are unwilling to give up the veto.
Democratisation of the UN Security
Council is blocked. Too many NAM
countries are living on Western dole. In
several countries treasured concepts of
civilised behaviour have been
abandoned. NAM, therefore, must
deplore the fundamentalism of
globalisation and the market and must
not remain silent on fundamentalism
being preached and practised at several
places.
The use of World Trade Organisation
(WTO) for forcing developing countries
to reduce tariff walls and observe
labour standards, is another case in
point. This indicates another area of
dominance by the developed countries
in a period of recession in their
economies. Unless the developing
countries, who are also the members of
NAM, put up united resistance against
these onslaughts by the major allied
powers, the world prospects of
INDIAS ROLE IN NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT
peace, security, equality of status for
nation-states and a voice for the
underdeveloped world to procure
foreign aid for development will remain
a distant dream. At the Doha meeting
of WTO in June 2002, India urged
strongly on behalf of the developing
countries.
Thus, even after the end of cold war
and demise of power blocs, non-
alignment both as an idea and a
movement continues to be relevant. The
efforts of NAM have to be geared
towards achieving security, peaceful
coexistence, international cooperation
in political, economic and cultural
fields and in opposing all types
of domination, neo-colonialism,
hegemonism, fundamentalism, etc.
India has a stake in these and is likely
to play the leadership role that it has
played so far.
Non-alignment has first developed
as a conceptual factor in its foreign
policy by India as a means to its
enlightened national interest in the
context of bipolarisation of world
politics and situation of cold war. Later
on, non-alignment became a movement
of nations which had suffered the same
fate of colonialism and imperialism.
Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal
Nehru, with the cooperation of
President Tito of Yugoslavia, President
Nasser of Egypt directed this movement
towards peace in the world and also
aimed at securing political and
economic objectives of development. At
the political level, the movement aimed
at keeping intact the independence of
the newly decolonised countries and
267
support the struggle for decolonisation
of rest of the colonies. It sought to forge
unity among anti-colonial, anti-racial
forces and liberation movements and
help them in achieving their objectives
world wide.
The economic objective of the Non-
Aligned Movement is aimed at keeping
the markets of developing countries
free from the domination of free
market forces represented by
Western capitalism and Multinational
Corporations.
India remained in the forefront of
the movement performing a leadership
role as a founder member. In all the
activities of NAM struggle against
colonialism and racism, and infavour
of disarmament and cooperation for
development, and dialogue with
developed world, etc. India not only
provided policy inputs but has played
an active role.
With the end of cold war and bloc-
systems NAM has in no way become
irrelevant. If the essence of non-
alignment is the assertion of
independence, then non-alignment
does not become irrelevant at any time.
Infact developing nations have no
alternative but to strive for a just world
order through the forum of NAM.
While the relevance of NAM in the
present day world is not in doubt, it
would serve its purpose if it focuses on
the current problems that the
developing countries are facing. In
formulating its agenda for the future,
NAM would have to incorporate in it
both its traditional and emerging goals
and objectives and take cognisance of
268 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

emerging issues and priorities on the moving in steps with the realities of
international agenda. The NAM agenda time. To usher in peace, security and
has to be topical and flexible thereby prosperity NAM has to act in unison.

EXERCISES

1. What role did India play in the origin of Non-Aligned Movement?

2. Examine Indias role in the various activities carried on by NAM.
3. Explain NAMs role in the post-cold war period.
4. Assess Indias role in the survival of NAM.
5. NAM has become irrelevant in the present uni-polar world. Do you agree?
Give arguments in favour of your answer.
6. Write short notes on the following:
(i) Bandung Conference;
(ii) Belgrade Summit;
(iii) Nehru and NAM.

CHAPTER 22
Indias Approach to Major World Issues
Disarmament, Human Rights and Globalisation
T HE world has entered the twenty
first century with new hopes and
problems in the wake of scientific and
technological developments. While our
lives have become more comfortable,
we are also facing challenges from
degrading environment, rising
fundamentalism and terrorism,
violation of basic human rights, ever
increasing threats of deadly chemical
and nuclear weapons, spread of new
diseases like HIV/AIDS and widening
gaps between the rich and the poor
countries, etc. The world of today has
to face these challenges both locally
and globally. The scientific and
technological developments have
brought the world closer and made it
interdependent. As a result, all
countries are affected by the events and
developments that may be taking
place anywhere. Therefore it is
important for the international
community to take note of emerging
global issues and react to them. Of
course different countries, depending
on their national interests, ideological
visions and perceptions, react
differently to various issues though
269
there always is an emphasis on
collective action. In this chapter we will
study some of the major issues facing
the world today and the views India
has and role it is playing in this
context.
DISARMAMENT
One of the most important global
problems affecting both nations and
individuals, today, is disarmament.
Arms race has reached alarming
proportions and is even spilling
into outer space after having stationed
weapons on the face of the earth
and in the oceans. Therefore the
focus in international relations is
increasingly around the question of
disarmament.
The arms race started in the wake
of the Second World War and
coincided with the Cold War which
had divided the world into blocs. The
Second World War, apart fr om
widespread destruction also marked
the beginning of the nuclear era with
a destructive power quite unforeseen
so far. Unfortunately, after the War
270 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
there emerged a competition among
nations, to build up their weapons
stocks and remain ahead of others.
Since then, this race for arms has
been continuing at a galloping pace.
The world today is threatened with a
nuclear holocaust. The single bomb
that destroyed Hiroshima left 71,379
dead with the toll mounting to
another 200,000 within five years as
a result of radiation and other after
effects. Today several thousands of
more powerful bombs than that, are
in the nuclear arsenal of many
countries.
Scientific studies have visualised
a chilling scenario of a nuclear war.
Estimates show that in the event of a
universal nuclear war more than
1,500 million people will die and
about 1,000 million would be
wounded. The condition of those who
survive the war will be pathetic.
Primarily, they will not get adequate
medical attention. They will be left
without drinking water, gas, electricity
and millions of cubic meters of highly
toxic sewage will flood urban
territories, fields, pastures and leak
into rivers. Rains will result in
concentration of radioactive
substances and for many months
drinking water will be unfit for
consumption. Thus the humanity
faces challenge to its very survival.
The arms race because of its scope,
destructive power and technological
sophistication, has been posing the
greatest danger ever known to
mankind. According to a study made
by the UN experts, the global arms
race makes heavy demand on the
limited human and material sources
of nations. Its cost is not only in
economic terms, but even in social and
psychological terms.
ARMS CONTROL AND DISARMAMENT
As we know, at the end of the Second
World War, United Nations was
established to maintain peace,
harmonious coexistence and welfare
of human kind. From the very
beginning United Nations took up the
cause of regulating armaments on a
world wide scale. This was mentioned
in the United Nations (UN) Charter
itself. The very first resolution
approved by the UN General Assembly
on 24 January, 1946, sought the
elimination of atomic weapons and
other weapons of mass destruction.
But during early years, progress was
not made in this direction. In 1959,
the General Assembly adopted, as a
goal for the United Nations, General
and Complete Disarmament under
effective international control. Since
then various steps have been taken
and efforts made in the direction of
Disarmament and Arms control. It
may be mentioned here that
Disarmament refers to reduction or
abolition of existing weapons. In fact,
in academic and policy discussions
disarmament means control or
reduction of existing weapons,
whereas arms control means control
of weapons in future. In this chapter
INDIAS APPROACH TO MAJOR WORLD ISSUES
we are discussing the issue as one
under the heading of disarmament.
As mentioned above the UN General
Assembly has set before itself the aim
of Complete Disarmament.
In 1961 at the initiative of the
Soviet Union and the United States a
negotiating body called the Eighteen-
Nation Committee on Disarmament,
was constituted. It was renamed in
1969 as the Conference Committee
on Disarmament. Since 1979, the
Geneva based body has been meeting
as the Committee on Disarmament,
with an enlarged (40 nation)
membership to ensure better
representation of different regions
and view points.
Along with these efforts by the
United Nations, negotiations among
nations were also going on,
particularly among nuclear powers,
for control over nuclear weapons. In
1963 an agreement was reached on a
Partial Test Ban Treaty. It prohibited
all test explosions on the surface, in
the atmosphere and under water.
Only limited underground tests were
allowed. The treaty was ratified by
three original signatories i.e. UK, USA
and USSR and 98 other member
States of the UN including India and
seven non-member States of the UN.
Another treaty known as Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) was
formulated in 1968 and signed by UK,
USA, USSR and 50 other countries.
India refused to sign the treaty on the
ground that it was discriminatory in
nature.
271
The Partial Test Ban Treaty of
1963 and subsequent agreements
did not ban nuclear testing under
the ground. Need for this prompted
negotiations for comprehensive
nuclear test ban treaty (CTBT). Such
negotiations started in 1977. After
many years of debate finally in 1996
there emerged a Comprehensive Test
Ban T reaty (CTBT). This treaty,
however, was full of controversies,
particularly in view of discriminatory
treatment of nuclear weapon States
and non-nuclear weapon States.
Because of this India, which had
been actively advocating for a
comprehensive test ban since 1954,
could not agree to sign the CTBT
treaty. We will discuss this issue
below. What is important to note here
is that though it cannot claim full
success in disarmament, the United
Nations, since its inception has made
repeated attempts to halt arms race.
Efforts have also been made by other
organizations like Commonwealth,
NAM, and Regional bodies. India
right from the beginning has not only
been an active supporter for
disarmament but has also been
playing a leading role both in the UN
and at other fora for this cause.
DISARMAMENT AND INDIA
Since Independence, India has
consistently pursued the objective
of global disarmament based on
principles of universality, non-
discrimination and effective
272
compliance. India has always
believed that a world free of nuclear
weapons would enhance global
security and Indias own national
security. Thus India has always been
advocating that the highest priority
be given to nuclear disarmament as
a first step towards general and
complete disarmament. As early as
1948, India called for limiting the use
of atomic energy for peaceful
purposes only and elimination of
atomic weapons from national
armaments. India was the first
country to call for stoppage of
nuclear tests and made a formal
proposal for total cessation of nuclear
testing in the UN General Assembly.
In 1961, India and other Non-
aligned countries tabled a resolution
in the UN General Assembly which
declared that the use of nuclear and
thermo-nuclear weapons would be a
direct violation of the UN Charter and
any State using such a weapon would
be acting contrary to the laws of
humanity and committing a crime
against mankind and civilization.
In 1964, India suggested that all
proliferation of nuclear weapons, be
it horizontal or vertical, should
be stopped simultaneously and
altogether, so that all nuclear facilities
everywhere become peaceful and
the problem of existing stockpiles
of nuclear weapons could then
be contained and tackled more
effectively.
In December 1978, at the first
special session of the UN General
Assembly on Disarmament, India
DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
moved a resolution which declared the
use of nuclear weapons would be a
violation of the UN charter and
demanded that pending nuclear
disarmament, the use and threat of
the use of nuclear weapons should
be prohibited. This resolution was
subsequently adopted by the General
Assembly in 1978. India also
proposed negotiations for an
international convention that would
prohibit the use of nuclear weapons.
This was followed by another initiative
in 1982 calling for a nuclear free
world, prohibition on the production
of fissile material for weapons and on
production of nuclear weapons, and
their delivery systems.
The seventh conference of NAM,
held in Delhi in March 1983,
forcefully accentuated the danger of
a nuclear war and the necessity
to fight for peace. The conference
proposed to ban the use of nuclear
weapons immediately, to freeze
and after that to reduce and to
eliminate its arsenals, to prevent
the use of outer space for military
purposes, to conclude as soon as
possible a comprehensive nuclear test
ban treaty.
Subsequently, India has been
making consistent efforts to bring
nuclear arms race to a halt. At the
special session of the United Nations
General Assembly on disarmament
India put forward a number of serious
proposals including the 1988
Comprehensive Plan for Total
Elimination of Weapons of Mass
Destruction in a phased manner. It
INDIAS APPROACH TO MAJOR WORLD ISSUES
was a matter of great regret that the
proposal put by India, along with
several other countries, did not receive
a positive response and instead
a limited and distorted non-
proliferation agenda, meant above all
to perpetuate nuclear weapons was
shaped. This compelled India not only
not to sign the CTBT but also itself go
nuclear in consideration of its
national security and failure of big
powers to agree on complete
elimination of nuclear weapons.
INDIAS STAND ON CTBT
Indias stand has been that the goal
of disarmament can be none other
than the achievement of general and
complete disarmament. This means
that disarmament has to be general,
i.e. to cover all countries; to be
complete, to apply to all weapons and
has to be implemented under strict
and effective international control.
India has also made it clear, from the
very beginning, that it wanted to keep
its options open for the peaceful use
of nuclear energy.
Against this background India did
not sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty (NPT) of 1968; She emphasised
that it is an unequal and
discriminatory treaty. While it
imposes stringent restrictions and
curbs on non-nuclear weapon States,
it leaves the nuclear weapon powers
free from any legal or time-bound
obligation to stop proliferation and to
take steps to reduce their nuclear
arsenals. It also denies the right to
273
peaceful nuclear explosions by non-
nuclear weapons States. Accordingly,
in Indias view, the treaty is
discriminatory, unrealistic, ineffective
and therefore unacceptable to India.
Indias concerns have been two.
One, freedom to use nuclear energy
for peaceful purposes, and two its
national security. In terms of national
security India was faced not only with
the situation of nuclear proliferation
world over, but also in its own
neighbourhood first in China and
then in Pakistan. China conducted
its first atomic explosion in October
1964. Before that, China had already
waged a war on India in 1962.
Having joined the nuclear club,
China also started helping Pakistans
nuclear programme. At that time,
both China and Pakistan were hostile
to India and Western powers were
also inclined towards Pakistan. All
these factors posed a threat to Indias
security. Yet India continued to
strictly adhere to the policy of using
nuclear energy only for peaceful
purposes.
On May 18, 1974 India carried
out an underground nuclear
experiment for peaceful purposes,
and reiterated that the country was
committed to its use for constructive
purposes and that it had no intention
of producing nuclear weapons.
India, therefore, continued its efforts
for a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
with the aims of curbing nuclear
arms race by stopping both
horizontal and vertical proliferation
of nuclear weapons. After the Nuclear
274
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) 1968,
w h i c h I n d i a d i d n o t s i g n, t h e
United Kingdom, the United States
and the Soviet Union in 1977 initiated
negotiations on CTBT. Years of
negotiations did not yield any
result. Indias position was clear that
it believes in total nuclear
disarmament, but it opposes any
agreement that is discriminatory in
nature. Despite Indias strong
objections against discrimination and
not taking into account security
interests of countries like India, the
CTBT was pushed through. India
refused to sign it. According to
experts the Treaty (CTBT) will, in
reality, legitimize a new qualitative
arms race. This treaty like the NPT
will be a license to proliferate
vertically without effectively banning
horizontal proliferation. Thus India,
after having been actively engaged
in the negotiations for two and a
half years, could not become a
party to CTBT precisely because the
issues of non-proliferation, global
disarmament and Indias concerns
for its national security and strategic
autonomy were ignored.
In May 1998 India conducted
three nuclear explosion tests some
doubts were raised in inter -
national community about Indias
commitment to disarmament. India,
however had made it clear that these
tests were conducted in the context
of national security and prevailing
international situation. India has
declared that it will maintain a
minimum credible nuclear deterrent
DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
and will not engage in an arms race.
India has also declared a no-first-use
of nuclear weapons. It believes that
a global no-first use agreement can
be the first step towards the
delegitimisation of nuclear weapons.
It stands for Comprehensive Test Ban
T reaty (CTBT) which is non-
discriminatory and universal. In
other words, it should have three
characteristics: (i) it should cover all
States including the five nuclear
weapon States; (ii) it should extend
the prohibition on the testing of
nuclear weapons to the underground
environment also; and (iii) it should
do so for all time. The verification
system to be developed must be non-
discriminatory.
From the above discussion it
becomes quite clear that the world
today, more than ever before, is aware
of the menace of arms race with no end
to the stockpiling, deployment
and development of new and
more destructive weapons, both
conventional and nuclear.
Disarmament has long been an
agenda item in various global forums.
In all these efforts India has been
playing a significant active role.
HUMAN RIGHTS
People is general, whether living in the
developed, developing or under
developed world, cherish the
enjoyment of rights in one form or the
other. The rights are the claims of the
individual recognised by the society
and enforced by the State. These
INDIAS APPROACH TO MAJOR WORLD ISSUES
rights are moral, legal, political,
economic in nature and a combination
of all these rights is termed as human
rights which all men and woman
should enjoy. Today these basic
rights are even recognised by the
international community.
The Indian Constitution which was
enforced in 1950 showed its full
respect to the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights. In the third part of
the Constitution, they have given the
most elaborate description of the basic
rights of the Indian citizens. In the
remaining of this chapter, we will
study about the Indias role relating
to human rights.
HUMAN RIGHTS AND INDIA
We have read above that the concept
of human rights in the existing form
is of recent, post Second World War
origin. In India concern for human
dignity, opposition to exploitation and
injustice and inequality has been a
part of her civilisational traditions. We
have a long tradition of acceptance of
contrary view-points, tolerance
towards others, non-violence, love and
compassion, religious universalism
and an emphasis on the brotherhood
of all men. Colonial oppression and
opposition to it and contact with the
West in the modern period brought in
India a new understanding of human
rights. During this period while the
social reformers led the intellectual
movement and contributed to the
human rights situation, the freedom
movement produced great champions
275
of human rights. The British colonial
rule in India affected the common
man, children, women, labourers,
workers, peasants, either directly or
indirectly. The police and the security
forces were used as basic tools to
suppress the rights of the individuals.
In this context the national movement
in India incorporated in its values
issues of democracy, universal
franchise, freedom of the press,
education, etc. It took these issues to
the people and educated them about
their political and economic rights.
Infact national movement took up
the battle for human rights in a variety
of ways.
HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS AFTER
INDEPENDENCE
The leaders of the Nationalist
movement, who now entered the
Constituent Assembly to draft a new
Constitution for India, were committed
to the cause of the Human Rights. In
the Constituent Assembly the moving
spirit behind the rights was the
adherence to the principle of human
equality and dignity which was
denied to Indians during the colonial
rule. Also as a founder member of
the United Nations India was in
the forefront in accepting the
principles of Universal Declaration of
Human Rights.
At the same time Framers of
the Indian Constitution made a
remarkable contribution by laying
down an elaborate set of rights for
the people. They sought to achieve a
276 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
delicate balance between, Civil and
Political Rights on the one hand, and
Social and Economic Rights on the
other. The makers of the Constitution
believed in giving equal importance
to the two sets of rights as a
cardinal tenet of philosophy
underlying it. The Political and Civil
Rights are made fundamental by
the provisions of part III of the
Constitution. This part assures the
people equality and freedom. Rights
in this part are judicially enforceable,
even though subject to reasonable
restrictions. The economic and social
rights are also made basic to the
governance of the country through
provisions in part IV that is the
Directive Principles of State Policy.
This part seek to make these rights
substantive by enjoining on future
governments to bring in conditions of
social and economic justice.
Apart from Constitutional
Provisions and Statutes the Indian
Government has also set up several
institutions under different acts of
Parliament to give effect to these
provisions of human rights of
all persons. Most important of these
is the National Human Rights
Commission (NHRC).
NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS
COMMISSION (NHRC)
The Indian Government established
the NHRC on 12 October, 1993. It
has eight members -a chairperson (a
former chief justice of India), a present
or a former judge of the Supreme
Court, a present or a former chief
justice of a high court, two members
from among those persons who are
knowledgeable in the area of human
rights, and the chairpersons of the
National Commission for women,
National Commission for SCs and STs,
and the National Commission for
Minorities. NHRC has been assigned
broad powers and functions. It can
inquire on its own or on a petition
presented to it by a victim or
any person on his behalf into
complaints of:
(i) Violation of or abetment to
violation of human rights;
(ii) Negligence by a public servant in
the prevention of such violation.
To perform its functions, the
NHRC has been given the following
authorities.
It may intervene in any
proceeding involving any alle-
gation of violation of human rights
pending before a court with the
approval of such court.
It may visit, under intimation to
a state government, any jail or
any other institution under the
control of the state government
concerned, where persons are
detained or lodged for purposes
of treatment, reformation or
protection, to study the living
conditions of the inmates and
make recommendations thereon.
It may review the safeguards
provided by or under the
Constitution or any law for the
INDIAS APPROACH TO MAJOR WORLD ISSUES
time being in force for the
protection of human rights and
recommend measures for their
effective implementation.
It may review the factors,
including acts of terrorism that
inhibit the enjoyment of human
rights and recommend appro-
priate remedial measures.
It may study treaties and other
international instruments on
human rights and make
recommendations for their
effective implementation.
It may undertake and promote
research in the field of human
rights; spread human rights
literacy among various sections of
society and promote awareness of
the safeguards available for the
protection of these rights through
publications, the media, seminars
and other available means.
It may encourage the efforts of
non-governmental organisations
and institutions working in the
field of human rights. It may
also undertake such other
functions as it may consider
necessary for the promotion of
human rights.
In addition to NHRC, there are also
National Commissions for Women,
Scheduled Castes and T ribes,
Minorities and other Backward Castes.
Their functions include protection and
promotion of rights of these specific
categories and suggest measures for
their welfare so that they can better
exercise their rights.
277
INTERNATIONAL COVENANTS AND
ACTIVITIES
As already mentioned India is a
signatory to the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights and has acceded to
the two International Covenants i.e.
International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights (ICCPR) and
International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights. It has also
accepted and ratified most other
major conventions and covenants
of the UN and its specialised
agencies like International Labour
Organisation (ILO) India has also been
participating in the UN Commission
for Human Rights, both as a member
and as an observer. It played a leading
role in opposing violation of human
rights on grounds of colour and race.
You have already read in an earlier
chapter Indias contribution in
struggle against colonialism,
apartheid, racial discrimination, etc.,
which were gross violations of the
basic values of human rights.
At the international level, there also
has been debate with regard to
importance of specific human rights.
The Western thinking in general has
been that civil and political rights are
more important. Indias position,
however, is that Civil and Political
rights and Social, Economic and
Cultural Rights both are equally
important. Equally important are
rights of the people as a group
and countries for example Right
to Development. India, while
wholeheartedly supporting the cause
278 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
of Human Rights, has always opposed
the politicisation of Human Rights in
international relations, where some
powers have been trying to use the
pretext of Human rights violation for
interfering in the internal affairs of
other countries.
From the above it becomes clear
that Indias response to the issue of
Human rights has been one of
commitment. Fundamental rights
and Directive Principles of State Policy
provided in the Constitution of India
contain a number of rights provided
in the Universal Declaration of Human
rights. India is also a signatory to this
Declaration as well as most of the
International conventions and
covenants. It has also joined hands
with the international community in
the task of promotion and protection
of Human Rights throughout the
World; it has played a leading role in
the fight against colonialism,
apartheid, racial discrimination and
exploitation.
As far as implementation of
commitment to Human Rights is
concerned, Indias record is better than
compared to many other developing
countries. Most significant aspect of
this is continuation and consolidation
of democracy. However, there are some
violations of Human Rights by State
machinery, police, security forces and
non-state actors like terrorists and
fundamentalists. As such, India, must
evolve herself as a leading example for
the developing countries in terms of
respect for human rights.
GLOBALISATION
The end of Cold War politics following
the disintegration of Soviet Union,
restructuring of Eastern European
countries and weakening of
communism as an ideological force in
international politics, have paved a way
for the emergence of a new world order
characterised by globalisation. The
process of globalisation began from the
1970s due to various developments in
the field of science and technology.
Since 1990s the term globalisation has
gained wide currency. However there
are significant differences among
observers on the definition, purpose
and consequences of globalisation.
GLOBALISATION: MEANING
According to Anthony Giddens,
Globalisation means The intensi-
fication of world-wide social relations
which link distant localities in such a
way that local happenings are shaped
by events occurring many miles
away and vice-versa. Similarly another
expert Robertson has defined
globalisation as a concept that
refers to the compression of the world
and the intensification of the
consciousness of the world as a whole.
In general we can say that globali-
sation refers to a process by which the
Planet Earth is considered to be
one single unit or a global village
where social and economic interactions
among the people are based
on interdependence. The world is
supposed to be a global society with
INDIAS APPROACH TO MAJOR WORLD ISSUES
global issues and problems which
are to be tackled with global efforts
and cooperation. Of course various
developments in the field of science and
technology have helped in this closeness
of the world. The phenomena includes
an enormous range of features of
contemporary life involving diverse
activities and interactions in the
economic, political, technological,
cultural and environmental field.
Globalisation is manifest in the
rapid flow of information, capital
and goods. Under globalisation cultures
and societies that were hitherto distinct
have come face to face with each
other. The world has become an
inter-connected one.
While the coming closer of the
world can be attributed to the
phenomenal increase in the reach of
electronic media and other means of
communications, as a policy frame
work for economic, political and social
interactions, the emergence of
globalisation is a consequence of
deliberate efforts of western liberal
capitalist countries to bring the
whole world under one market
oriented economic order. Observers
point out that the big Multi National
Companies (MNCs) had always
wanted to have free access to all
markets in the world. They were,
however, restricted by the protect-
ionist policies of the various countries.
They had been pressurising their
powerful governments to get these
artificial restrictions removed and
facilitate free flow of capital and goods.
279
Their efforts got a big boost by the
collapse of Socialism, revolution in
communication technology and
worsening economic situation of
developing countries. New develop-
ments in the field of communications
and rising debts and declining
productions in developing countries
helped developed countries to put
pressure on these countries through
international bodies like World Bank
and International Monetary Fund
(IMF) to integrate their economies with
the market oriented world economy,
make structural adjustments to
accommodate the interests of the
Multi-National Company and liberlise
their own economies. Accordingly, a
large number of developing countries,
either per-force, or due to their needs
of development have sought to
integrate increasingly with the world
economy. India also has not remained
immune from the processes. It has
accordingly, taken some measures to
be a part of global community and
also reacted to certain issues arising
out of the process.
GLOBALISATION AND INDIA
India began responding to globali-
sation from early 1980s by
warmly welcoming the technological
developments. In the beginning, its
acceptance of the ideas of world
market, world economy, unfettered
market economy etc. was lukewarm.
Of course, it started some pro-
cesses towards liberalisation and
globalisation in the middle of 1980s.
280 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
It was in the wake of the external
repayment liability crisis of 1991 that
government took a qualitative turn
towards liberalisation. It involved the
following major changes in policy.
(i) Trade policy reform: This reform
sought to dismantle the earlier
import licensing system. It
proposed reforms and heavy
scaling down or removal of tariff
on imports . Except on consumer
goods non-tariff barriers were
phased out.
(ii) Industrial Policy Reform: It
sought abolition of industrial
licensing except for a few
specified industries. Items
reserved for public sector came
to be highly restricted and it
extended favourable treatment
to FDI. Restrictions on
investment by large industrial
houses were abolished and
a phased programme of
disinvestments of public
ownership in public sector
undertakings was initiated.
The Non-resident Indians (NRIs)
were extended additional
encouragement to invest and
outward investment by Indian
enterprises was liberalised.
(iii) Exchange Rate Reform: The rupee
was devalued in 1991. Partial
convertibility of the rupee was
done in 1992-93 and full
convertibility on current account
in 1994.
(iv) Capital Market Reform: This was
undertaken by setting up the
Securities and Exchange Board
of India (SEBI).
(v) Financial Reforms: Private sector
banks including foreign joint
venture banks came to be
permitted to undertake and
expand their operations. A
policy regime for private non-
banking finance companies
came to be established.
In addition to the above, the
government has attempted to build up
competition in sectors where hitherto
the public sector enjoyed a monopoly;
thrown open the insurance sector for
market competition; attempted to
lay down a set of directives for
disinvestments and removed tariffs on
a large number of items in accordance
with its agreement with the World Trade
Organisation (WTO).
In the context of globalisation,
the above-mentioned liberalisation
primarily means removal of controls
and regulations at various levels of the
economy facilitating market forces to
determine its course and direction. It
favours a competitive market solution
to economic issues and a reduced
role for the State in economic
management. In a wider sense, the
term is also used to mean creating
conditions for the prevalence of civic
and political rights, rule of law,
accountability of power, periodic
elections, multi-party system and an
impartial judiciary. These conditions
are seen as keeping public authority
transparent and under scrutiny.
Summing up, liberalisation means
freedom of trade and investment;
creation of free trade areas; elimination
of government control on allocation of
INDIAS APPROACH TO MAJOR WORLD ISSUES
resources in the domestic economy;
progressive removal of restrictions on
external trade and payments;
expansion of foreign investment, loans
and aid and rapid technological
progress. Liberalisation also advocates
a balanced budget, reduction in
progressive taxation, social security
and welfare and a diminished role for
the State in economic management. It
does not favour subsidies and State
protection and resource allocations
through administrative means. It
suggests that inefficiency, corruption
and mismanagement are built into
regimes with excessive State control.
DIFFERENCE OF OPINIONS
There is a general view that
globalisation is a reality which cannot
be wished away. Yet ther e ar e
differences of opinion, both at the
international level and in India, with
regard to impact of globalisation and
its usefulness. Primarily there are two
opinions, optimistic and pessimistic.
The former point out the benefits of
globalisation. According to them, the
economic policies before liberalisation
were not yielding positive results. The
gap between the rich and the poor were
constantly on the rise; due to lack of
competition, the big business houses
were selling average products at
high prices. But liberlisation and
globalisation has increased the scale
and allocative efficiency of markets for
goods and capital. It has released
huge unutilised resources and has led
to a great economic recovery.
281
Globalisation has greatly facilitated
the movement of capital and lessened
the dependence of the country on
bilateral and multilateral agencies
such as the IMF and World Bank. It
has also been an important
mechanism to upgrade their
technology and get an access to the
global markets.
It is also argued by the supporters
of globalisation that it has helped in
expansion of liberal democracy by
strengthening accountability and
transparency of power. It has created
global electronic communication
systems. They allow a diversity of
alternative voices and opinions to be
heard and accessed . These, in turn,
have also led to the rise of new
social movements such as of
women, peasants, ethnic commu-
nities, displaced people etc. thereby
mobilising more people. In the
cultural field, globalisation has
facilitated a phenomenal growth in the
global circulation of cultural goods.
These include printed matter, music,
visual arts, cinema and photography,
radio and television.
Critics of globalisation see it as a
process of domination by advanced
capitalist countries especially United
States of America. According to
them, it has further increased
existing inequalities. There is evidence
to suggest that the processes and
policies of liberalisation and
globalisation have contributed to a
significant redistribution of income
and wealth from the poor to the rich
both nationally and internationally.
282 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
There is growing disparity within the
developed nations, between the
developed nations and the developing
nations, and within the developing
nations themselves. In the wake of
globalisation there is substantial
increase in unemployment.
There has been a cut in welfare
measures, reduction in subsidies of
goods of mass consumption and decline
in real wages. There is an increase in
the power of foreign investors and
creditors. While a great deal of attention
is paid to formulate rules for the
expansion of global markets and
capital flows, little attention is paid to
objectives like labour standard, poverty
reduction and human rights. It has
greatly circumscribed the power of
nation-state under pressure from
multinational companies.
Neo-liberal ideology has emerged
as the reigning ideology under
globalisation with its stress on market
freedom, private property and
accumulation. There also is a process
of cultural imposition and domination.
Through Cable TV and Internet, the
Multinational Corporations are
successfully promoting consumerism
and western values. The craze of Coke/
Pepsi or famous western brands of
clothing, cosmetics, etc., are all creation
of electronic media. The English
language has emerged to a pre-
dominant position threatening the
development of vernacular languages.
Critics also point out the serious impact
of globalisation on education. Now
there is rapid commercialization of
education and over -emphasis on
market-oriented courses. The
undermining of Social Sciences and
Humanities is already having a
detrimental effect on society.
From the above, it becomes clear
that globalisation is a process through
which the world is becoming closer and
distanceless. As a result of this, national
economies are diminishing and they are
becoming part of the international
economic system. It has put limitations
on States sovereignty. India has
become a part of this process and is
trying to adapt itself to this new reality.
Major challenge before it is to reap its
benefits and avoid its adverse effects.
There are a number of serious issues
which developed countries are
imposing on developing countries
through international financial and
trade organisations like World Trade
Organisation (WTO). India is of the
opinion that developing countries need
to oppose these attempts. However, so
far the necessary cooperation among
the developing countries, required for
this purpose, is lacking. Some of the
developing countries are also working
under pressure from the United States
especially in regard to their extended
debt liabilities. India has taken a
number of initiatives at the international
fora, to protect the interests of
developing countries with regard to
trade negotiations, subsidies and rights
and responsibilities of different
countries. At the same time, it has
accepted and implemented Structural
Adjustment programmes, opened up
its economy and allowed foreign
companies to operate. Both scholars
INDIAS APPROACH TO MAJOR WORLD ISSUES 283

and political parties are deeply divided
on the desirability and consequences
of globalisation. Since globalisation
now is a reality, the discussion on the
desirability or otherwise of globalisation
has now been replaced by discussion
on the measures which can help the
country derive more advantages from
globalisation and minimise its
disadvantages.

EXERCISES

1. What do you understand by Disarmament? What efforts have been made by

the United Nations towards Disarmament.
2. Describe the role played by India in achieving the objective of global disarmament.
3. Why has India not signed Non-Proferation Treaty (NPT) and Comprehensive
Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).
4. Describe various measures adopted in India for implementation of Human
Rights.
5. How has India responded to the process of globalisation.
6. Describe the two different opinions about effects of globalisation.
7. Write short notes on the following:
(i) Arms race and its effects
(ii) National Human Rights Commission
(iii) Meaning of Globalisation
284 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

Glossary

Activist: A person mobilising people for political action.

Alternative Vote: In this first method voters are asked to rank the candidates in
preferential order. In this first stage of counting, only the first preferences are taken
into consideration. If no candidate receives majority, the candidate with the least
first preferences is eliminated, and the ballots of this candidate as first preference
are redistributed according to second preferences and so on.

Apartheid: Refers to the South African system of racial segregation of the white,
black and brown (i.e. Indian) population and the domination of the white minority
over the black majority. A basic aspect of apartheid was the exclusion of the majority
on the basis of their colour from participation in government.

Aristocracy: A government or a state ruled by a privileged class; a government

composed of and ruled by the few, supposedly to be superior.

Authoritarianism: It is opposed to democracy. It is a form of government in which

the authority is vested in the hands of a dictator, a military junta or an absolute
monarch. The ruler is not accountable to the people nor he is bound by any
constitution.

Bourgeoisie: Also known as the capitalist class that owns the means of production,
employs wage labour, and has profit as its source of income.

Capitalism: It refers to an economic system where there is a combination of private

property, a relatively free and competitive market, and a general assumption that
the bulk of the workforce will be engaged in employment by private (non-governmental)
employers engaged in producing whatever goods they can sell at a profit.

Civil Liberties: These are freedoms or rights which are thought to be especially
valuable in themselves and vital to the functioning of a liberal and democratic
society. Emphasis vary, but most lists of basic civil liberties will include freedom of
speech, freedom of religion and thought, freedom of movement, freedom of
association, the right to a fair trial and freedom of the person.
GLOSSARY 285

Coalition: These are grouping of rival political units in the face of a common
opponent. Coalition usually occur in modern parliaments when no single political
party can muster a mojority of votes. Two or more parties, who have enough elected
members between them to form a majority, may then be able to agree on a common
programme that does not require too many drastic compromises with their individual
policies, and can proceed to form a government.

Cultural Pluralism: Multiplicity of cultural identies coexisting within a society.

Egalitarian Society: A society based on the principles of liberty, equality and justice
in which all have a certain minimum equality in social, political and economic
spheres.

Feudalism: The economic, political and social system in which land was held by
vassals in exchange for military and other services to overlords.

G-15: A group of 15 developing countires for consultation and cooperation was an

initiative taken at the Non-Aligned Summit at Belgrade in September 1989. The
task of the group include (i) to identify new specific and concrete ideas or schemes
to foster South-South Cooperation, commit their governments to them and mobilise
wider suppor t; and (ii) to hold a review of the world economic situation and the
state of international relations affecting developing countries with a view to
developing common perceptions on them and suggest common strategies including
initiatives to be proposed in North-South fora.

Imperialism: Systems of political control of one country over another. A bigger

power establishes its rule over another country through the route of colonialism or
through conquest.

Liberal Democracy: A form of democratic rule that balances the principle of limited
government against the ideal of popular consent. Its liberal features are reflected
in a network of internal and external checks on government that are designed to
guarantee liberty and afford citizens, protection against the state. Its democratic
character is based on a system of regular and competitive elections, conducted on
the basis of universal suffrage and political equality.

Multinationals: Companies having subsidiary operations in several countries across

the globe.

Nation Building: It is a term to cover the comprehensive process by which people

constitute and stabilise themselves as a nation. It refers to the construction of
institutions, structures, processes which give shape and form to a nation as sovereign
entity.

Neo-Colonialism: The continued and indirect influence, or in few cases control, by

the ex-colonial powers over their former colonies through unequal trade, interference
286 DEMOCRACY IN INDIA : ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

in governance, multinational corporations etc. It is also used interchangeably with

imperialism to suggest that even after the end of formal colonialism, the European
countries still have many informal channels of control over the non-European
world.

North-South Dialogue: By North is meant the advanced industrialised countries

of North America, Western Europe and Japan all of which are in the Northern
hemisphere, but it also includes Australia and New Zealand from south of the
equator. By South is meant the developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin
America, most of them having become recently independent, and almost all marked
by low per capita income, poverty, social backwardness and disease. By North in
brief is meant the rich nations and by South the poor nations. Therefor, by North-
South dialogue is meant the talks and negotiations between the advanced
industialised countries and the half-industrial to pre-industial developing countries
of the world, for a more equitable, just and balanced world economy.

Nuclear Disarmament: The talks for nuclear disarmament have taken place in the
Disarmament Commission (DC) of the UN General Assembly, among the nuclear
powers, especially the USA and the former Soviet Union over the years, From 1969
to 1979 the famous Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) were held between the
two. Followed by Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START) initiated in 1982.
Gorbachev and Reagan held five summits between 1986 and 1988, discussing nuclear
disarmament. In 1988, the US and the former Soviet Union signed the Intermediate
Nuclear Force (INF) disarmament agreement which was the first major breakthrough
in nuclear disarmament.

Panchsheel: In 1954, the Prime Ministers of India and China, Jawaharlal Nehru
and Chou-en-lai enunciated five principles of peaceful coexistence while signing
the Treaty on Tibet. These five Principles, known as Panchsheel, have become
important formula of International relations. These are:
(i) Mutual respect for each others territorial integrity and sovereignty;
(ii) Mutual non-aggression;
(iii) Mutual non-interference in each others internal affairs;
(iv) Equality and mutual benefit and ;
(v) Peaceful coexistence.

Plural Society: A society containing members of many ethnic, language, religious

and cultural groups. A society marked by diversities, a compound of diverse elements.
It is a heterogenous society.

Polarisation: Alignment of forces (here political) along distinct ideological lines.

Poverty Line: A way of defining the minimum level of existence in a society below
which it would be impossible to satisfy the bare minimum needs to survive.
GLOSSARY 287

Pragmatism: Doctrine that evaluates any assertion solely by its practical

consequences and its bearing on human interests.

Racism: Racism is any political or social belief that justifies treating people differently
according to their racial origins. (See Apartheid)

Rigging: It describes any fradulent, illicit or underhand interference with votes and
voting processes. The intention being to falsify the result or to make sure of electoral
victory in advance.

Secession: It means the attempt by some region in a political systems to become

independent of the rest of the state and rule itself as an autonomous state.

Secularism: A form or a system where religion and politics are separated from each
other; one where religion has no role in politics.

South-South Cooperation: As opposed to North-South dialogue, South-South

Cooperation has been proposed to build solidarity and fraternity between more
than 100 developing countries of the world. A South Commission was constituted
to work out plans of cooperation. Many regional associations of countries of the
South, like Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Organisation of African Unity (OAU),
League of Arab States, Gulf Cooperation Council etc., have taken up the task of
promoting mutual cooperation for common welfare.

Totalitarianism: It is defined in the context of political regimes as developed in

Germany and Italy during the Second World War and in USSR and Eastern Europe
during the communist rule. Totalitarianism believes in the totalist ideology, a single
party state, a secret police, overall control and a government monopoly over the
economic, cultural and information structure of the society. There is no difference
between the state and the society.

Trade Unions: These Unions are organised collectives of working people, usually
but not invariably in industrial and commercial rather than agricultural
organisations.